Additional statutory holidays would serve as a regulatory tax on business, suppressing economic recovery, says the New Zealand Taxpayers' Union.

Union spokesman Louis Houlbrooke says, "The Prime Minister should not be 'actively considering' additional public holidays. Forcing businesses to close, or fork out for time and half plus a day in lieu, will only serve to whack them again. And there's no guarantee New Zealanders will actually use a statutory holiday to engage in tourism."

"More broadly, shutting down the economy is an absurd response to an economic crisis. We should be encouraging all New Zealanders back to work, not forcing them to take a day off for the sake of one sector."

"A better way to support domestic tourism would be to cancel this year's fuel tax hike, or even cut the tax rate. Make the Kiwi road trip great again."

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