Mr TOYNE - 1998-10-14
Under the Country Liberal Party, nearly one quarter of all teachers are on temporary contracts. That represents a number of 700 out of 3200 positions. This creates instability and uncertainty amongst teachers and whole school communities. Does the minister believe this promotes good educational outcomes and what is he planning to do about it?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, can I first of all …
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr ADAMSON: … compliment the opposition on rediscovering education, as it has taken quite a long time. In terms of the question asked by the member for Stuart, he would know perfectly well that this a matter that has been discussed at great lengths between officers of the department and even members of the AEU. The member himself knows why so many of these positions are there. They are simply there because a lot of other people are off - those positions are not full-time vacancies. They are off on long-term leave, study leave, whatever.
Mr Bailey interjecting.
Mr ADAMSON: ... because, well, the alternative to that is quite simple. You say to everyone else there is no more study leave, you can not take all this time off to do these things.
These people are in contract positions …
Mr Bailey interjecting.
Madame SPEAKER: Order!
Mr ADAMSON: ...because they are not filling full time vacancies at this stage. This is part of the review that we are taking part in at the moment. It is one area that I think could be worked on to some extent. But both sides of the political debate know the reasons for this and it is part of what we are doing to educate. The member for Stuart has to be one of the most gutless people to come into this Chamber...
Members interjecting.
Mr ADAMSON: The reason why I say that is because ...
Members interjecting.
Mrs HICKEY: A point of order Madam Speaker. The minister knows that that is unparliamentary and should withdraw the comment.
Madam SPEAKER: That is unparliamentary minister, and you should withdraw.
Mr ADAMSON: Well, I withdraw.
Mr Stirling interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr ADAMSON: The member for Stuart, I think, shows a great lack of courage...
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Minister, please resume your seat. There is no point trying to go on with your answer with the continual interjections. Now, you either want to hear the answer or you don’t.
Mr Toyne: I’d love to hear the answer.
Madam SPEAKER: Well, how about being quiet?
Ms MARTIN: Point of order, Madam Speaker! If the minister would answer the question rather than attack ...
Madam SPEAKER: Are you disputing what I am saying?What I am saying is, if you want to hear the answer, then cease your interjections. Minister, complete your answer.
Mr ADAMSON: Thank you, Madam Speaker. I would certainly also like to encourage the opposition to listen to the answer. But, my point with the member for Stuart is he seems to be only too happy to mumble with an interjection, but do it in a way where its impossible to make sure that you hear what he’s being ...
Members interjecting.
Mr ADAMSON: In terms of these contract positions, my personal opinion is, yes, it would be good to have less. But the reason why we have them though, these are not full time vacancies, they are not vacancies where someone has resigned from the service and has gone away and it’s a position yet to be filled. These contract positions are there because there is a person in that job who has gone to do something else, and that’s also allowed in this whole system. It’s allowed in the system with the agreement of the union and it’s allowed in the system with the agreement of the department. It was the basis of negotiations last time and it’s certainly part of the consultation process at the moment. There is no doubt there are number of issues that are rightly part of this educational review but, again, the only feedback that I haven’t received so far is from the member for Stuart. We have had, as part of this whole process some excellent input from COGSO, excellent input from school groups around the Northern Territory as officers have gone around as part of this review, and the only person that we haven’t heard from at this stage is the member for Stuart.
Once again, the members on the other side have disenfranchised themselves from this debate because we’ve come in here publicly saying we are casting the net as wide as possible, asking for community input and consultation. We are receiving excellent and valuable public input with one glaring exception. Regardless of that exception we will get on with this review which is providing some useful thought.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, can I first of all …
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr ADAMSON: … compliment the opposition on rediscovering education, as it has taken quite a long time. In terms of the question asked by the member for Stuart, he would know perfectly well that this a matter that has been discussed at great lengths between officers of the department and even members of the AEU. The member himself knows why so many of these positions are there. They are simply there because a lot of other people are off - those positions are not full-time vacancies. They are off on long-term leave, study leave, whatever.
Mr Bailey interjecting.
Mr ADAMSON: ... because, well, the alternative to that is quite simple. You say to everyone else there is no more study leave, you can not take all this time off to do these things.
These people are in contract positions …
Mr Bailey interjecting.
Madame SPEAKER: Order!
Mr ADAMSON: ...because they are not filling full time vacancies at this stage. This is part of the review that we are taking part in at the moment. It is one area that I think could be worked on to some extent. But both sides of the political debate know the reasons for this and it is part of what we are doing to educate. The member for Stuart has to be one of the most gutless people to come into this Chamber...
Members interjecting.
Mr ADAMSON: The reason why I say that is because ...
Members interjecting.
Mrs HICKEY: A point of order Madam Speaker. The minister knows that that is unparliamentary and should withdraw the comment.
Madam SPEAKER: That is unparliamentary minister, and you should withdraw.
Mr ADAMSON: Well, I withdraw.
Mr Stirling interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr ADAMSON: The member for Stuart, I think, shows a great lack of courage...
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Minister, please resume your seat. There is no point trying to go on with your answer with the continual interjections. Now, you either want to hear the answer or you don’t.
Mr Toyne: I’d love to hear the answer.
Madam SPEAKER: Well, how about being quiet?
Ms MARTIN: Point of order, Madam Speaker! If the minister would answer the question rather than attack ...
Madam SPEAKER: Are you disputing what I am saying?What I am saying is, if you want to hear the answer, then cease your interjections. Minister, complete your answer.
Mr ADAMSON: Thank you, Madam Speaker. I would certainly also like to encourage the opposition to listen to the answer. But, my point with the member for Stuart is he seems to be only too happy to mumble with an interjection, but do it in a way where its impossible to make sure that you hear what he’s being ...
Members interjecting.
Mr ADAMSON: In terms of these contract positions, my personal opinion is, yes, it would be good to have less. But the reason why we have them though, these are not full time vacancies, they are not vacancies where someone has resigned from the service and has gone away and it’s a position yet to be filled. These contract positions are there because there is a person in that job who has gone to do something else, and that’s also allowed in this whole system. It’s allowed in the system with the agreement of the union and it’s allowed in the system with the agreement of the department. It was the basis of negotiations last time and it’s certainly part of the consultation process at the moment. There is no doubt there are number of issues that are rightly part of this educational review but, again, the only feedback that I haven’t received so far is from the member for Stuart. We have had, as part of this whole process some excellent input from COGSO, excellent input from school groups around the Northern Territory as officers have gone around as part of this review, and the only person that we haven’t heard from at this stage is the member for Stuart.
Once again, the members on the other side have disenfranchised themselves from this debate because we’ve come in here publicly saying we are casting the net as wide as possible, asking for community input and consultation. We are receiving excellent and valuable public input with one glaring exception. Regardless of that exception we will get on with this review which is providing some useful thought.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016