Mr J. BULL (Sunbury) — I wish to congratulate the Premier and the Minister for Sport, who I see is in the house, on a fantastic grand final public holiday. The AFL Grand Final public holiday was an election commitment and a promise that Victorians voted for, and it was a promise that was delivered. With glorious Melbourne weather and the anticipation and atmosphere building, it was a day that was enjoyed by thousands in the CBD, across our regions and throughout the state.

Locally in Sunbury I do not think I have ever seen the Bunnings car park so full at 1.00 p.m. on a Friday. Hundreds of people were taking to home improvements while spending time with loved ones. This was a day for families, a day for friends and a great day for Victoria. It was a day that showed that Victorians are not about hiding away, deserting the streets, not coming out and turning Melbourne into a sleepy hollow; it was a day on which we came together and celebrated all things great about this wonderful state.

There were those who talked this day down, and some wanted to talk doom and gloom. They said the CBD would be a ghost town and that it would be sleepy hollow. They said you would not even be able to buy a coffee. The only reason you could not buy a coffee in Sunbury was because all the coffee was sold out! At the Spotted Owl there were hundreds of people enjoying a well-earnt day off. But do not just rely on the Sunbury experience. The Geelong Advertiser ran the headline: ‘Government kicks a goal. Football holiday a winner’. The same theme was replicated across the state. It seems the only person talking this day down is grumpy Guy and his not so merry men.