United Future leader Peter Dunne is taking the idea to change the timing of the summer school holidays a step further.

A cold and wet January across most of the country has led some to question if the government has got school holiday timing right.

Last week a severe weather pattern called a ‘bomb low’ blasted the country with rain, wind and snow.

Dunne said he wants to launch a national petition to sound the country out on whether the summer school holidays should be shifted to start in mid February and finish in March.

“Assuming that comes in pretty strong as I imagine it will, then I want to take the matter up with the government.”

He said the motivation for changing the summer holiday period was simple.

“For a country like New Zealand that prides itself on being an outdoors country, it’s a bit silly to have a summer period when people can’t go to the beach because it’s too cold.”

Dunne said the finer details of the petition were still being worked out but it would be designed to reflect a thorough representation of the country’s opinion.

“Something that gives a very strong opportunity for people from North Cape to the Bluff to state their views and that we can then act on as being sound evidence.”

Dunne said the move to change the holidays was similar to when daylight savings was extended in 2007.

That move was prompted by a 42,000 signature petition.

Dunne said the challenges to change the holidays would not be legislative or legal but practical ones.

“You can’t do this on a bitsy basis, you have to have everyone in.”

He said schools, government departments and the private sector would have to change the way the year and leave is organised.