Mr Ede - 1996-02-21
It is quite obvious that what we see now is an attempt to inflame the teachers' dispute. In that process, the minister first described the teachers as `engaging in terrorist tactics'. That was part of a series of statements which show that this government's response has degenerated into some macho game designed to show who is the toughest bully in the schoolyard. The minister wants to demonstrate that he is tough enough to be in the Cabinet of the teacher-hating Shane Stone. However, he has escalated the dispute. Is the minister deliberately setting in place all of the preconditions necessary to allow him to undertake wholesale stand-downs of teachers and/or a lockout of teachers from Territory schools and the closure of at least a substantial part of the system? This has all the hallmarks of a move of that kind.
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ANSWER
Mr Speaker, no, I am not. However, I am not closing off any options. Let me make it clear that we are not escalating this dispute. The teachers' union has been escalating it and we have been making as moderate a response as is physically possible ...
Mr Stirling: What - calling them `terrorists'? If that is moderate, I would hate to see you wound up.
Mr HATTON: I made the point yesterday that, if someone persists long enough with poking another person in the chest, eventually that person will turn around and poke them back.
Mr Stirling: You called them `terrorists'.
Mr HATTON: All we play is a very mild ...
Mr Stirling: You have withdrawn all the offers.
Mr HATTON: I make one final point. You can play the role of Neville Chamberlain for just so long. Eventually, you realise that ...
Mr Ede: You are going to be Hitler!
Mr HATTON: No. However, when you are dealing with ...
Members interjecting.
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mr HATTON: ... at the end of the day, it simply does not work.
Members interjecting.
Mr HATTON: And the teachers' union has just invaded Poland.
Mr Ede: Hitler Hatton!
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Page 1177
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, no, I am not. However, I am not closing off any options. Let me make it clear that we are not escalating this dispute. The teachers' union has been escalating it and we have been making as moderate a response as is physically possible ...
Mr Stirling: What - calling them `terrorists'? If that is moderate, I would hate to see you wound up.
Mr HATTON: I made the point yesterday that, if someone persists long enough with poking another person in the chest, eventually that person will turn around and poke them back.
Mr Stirling: You called them `terrorists'.
Mr HATTON: All we play is a very mild ...
Mr Stirling: You have withdrawn all the offers.
Mr HATTON: I make one final point. You can play the role of Neville Chamberlain for just so long. Eventually, you realise that ...
Mr Ede: You are going to be Hitler!
Mr HATTON: No. However, when you are dealing with ...
Members interjecting.
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mr HATTON: ... at the end of the day, it simply does not work.
Members interjecting.
Mr HATTON: And the teachers' union has just invaded Poland.
Mr Ede: Hitler Hatton!
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Last updated: 09 Aug 2016