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A proposed revisal of ACT public holidays could spell the end of the June long weekend. The ACT Government has launched public consultation on a new public holiday for 2017 that would replace either Family and Community Day in September or the Queen's Birthday public holiday in June. The day would celebrate the 50th anniversary of the 1967 referendum, where Australians voted overwhelmingly to amend the constitution to include Aboriginal people in the census and make them subject to Commonwealth law. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs minister for the ACT Dr Chris Bourke was keen to stress the proposal would not mean an extra public holiday for the territory. The new holiday could occur on a new date, like the first Monday after May 27, the anniversary of the 1967 referendum. Dr Bourke said Reconciliation Day would promote a "sense of unity" between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Canberrans. "A Reconciliation Day holiday would also provide a focal point for the celebration of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories, cultures and rights and ensure they are valued and recognised as part of our shared Australian identity," Dr Bourke said. "It would be an important way to acknowledge and understand the history of settlement of Australia and recognise its effect upon Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people." Feedback is currently being sought on both the proposed name and date change for the public holiday. The Queens Birthday public holiday is observed in all states and territories in Australia excluding Western Australia. The birthday of the ruling British monarch has been celebrated in Australia since 1788 and in June since 1936. Canberra-specific Family and Community Day was gazetted in 2007 to foster quality time for workers and their families. Business groups have previously criticised the number of public holidays in ACT - 14 this year - saying that the cost they imposed on businesses was excessive. The ACT currently leads Australia in the number of public holidays it has, although Victoria is not too far behind. But while co-chair of the National Congress of Australia's First Peoples Rod Little welcomed the idea of Reconciliation Day, he would like to see it coincide with NAIDOC Week in the first week of the July school holidays. "The date of the referendum is a standalone point and should absolutely remain that way as it's a day of national significance," Mr Little said. "Having the public holiday in July would break up the number of holidays in that first half of the year, which is very busy, and it would give people a day off in school holidays so the family can all be together enjoying themselves." He said there was already a comprehensive events schedule for NAIDOC Week and the additional of a public holiday at the start would give it an extra boost of participants. He believed the day could replace Family and Community Day as NAIDOC Week had a particular focus on families and communities as well as promoting Indigenous culture. You can have your say on the new public holiday proposed for the ACT by heading to the Community Services Directorate website: www.communityservices.act.gov.au New Year's Day - Friday, January 1 Australia Day - Tuesday, January 26 Canberra Day - Monday, March 14 Good Friday - Friday, March 25 Easter Saturday - Saturday, March 26 Easter Sunday - Sunday, March 27 Easter Monday - Monday, March 28 ANZAC Day - Monday, April 25 Queen's Birthday - Monday, June 13 Family and Community Day - Monday, September 26 Labour Day - Monday, October 3 Christmas Day - Sunday, December 25 Boxing Day - Monday, December 26 Christmas Day extra public holiday for Sunday - Tuesday, December 27

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