Deputy Prime Minister Bill English has confirmed that a Land Wars commemoration day will not be a public holiday.
Following pressure from local communities, the Government has announced that a new national day will be created to commemorate the New Zealand Land Wars of the 1800s. The media quickly interpreted this announcement to mean that a new public holiday would be created. However, English said that some people misunderstood what had been agreed and that "we've taken a view that there's no need for a public holiday and in any case, there isn't yet agreement about a date even just for a commemoration."
A date is expected to be announced before the end of the year.