Mr ADAMSON - 1996-05-16
Can he inform the House and all Territorians what parents and school students will need to do as the Australian Education Union continues its rolling stoppages and strikes which are unfortunately under way again as we speak?
Mr Stirling: Your government closes the schools.
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, to take up the interjection from the member for Nhulunbuy, the striking teachers in his schools have closed those schools. No one else has.
Members interjecting.
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mr FINCH: As has been clearly demonstrated to the public in the Northern Territory, these latest rolling stoppages are in fact strikes. They are not about discussing the agenda.
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They are not about discussing negotiations or offers that have been made. That was done for 2 weeks and ended last week. In fact, I will defy ...
Mr Stirling: Nobody in Nhulunbuy is fooled. They know who closed the schools.
Mr FINCH: The member for Nhulunbuy is very close to this strike in Nhulunbuy. Nhulunbuy has the biggest primary school in the Northern Territory and a high school that, because of its low numbers in the senior years, needs every possible assistance and input throughout the school year. Why does Nhulunbuy have a 100% stoppage? Why do those schools in his electorate, in his home town, have a 100% stoppage?
Mr Stirling: They are not the only schools with a 100% stoppage. You should look around.
Mr FINCH: They are, so far and universally. Teachers in every school within cooee of your voice are striking this morning - 100%. The principals are on duty, and the odd assistant principal.
Mr Bailey: There are principles involved in this, and you have none of them.
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mr FINCH: Given the advice to the principals that no teaching staff would be prepared to come and do their duty today ...
Mr Stirling: Rubbish! The teachers were at school this morning.
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mr FINCH: If the teachers have advised that they will be out 100% today, the principals are not able each to handle 650 students between 5 and 12 years old on their own, are they? It would be totally inappropriate for children to have been sent to those schools today at all. Or do you suggest that the pupils should come in after lunch when the teachers are ready to come back from their strike? No? You have no answer.
It is totally unreasonable and totally disgraceful, and the member for Nhulunbuy is in this up to his ears. Teachers in all schools within cooee of the sound of his voice are 100% off work. He knows that we cannot fly replacement teachers into places like Nhulunbuy or out to Yirrkala at short notice. We do not have office-based teachers there to enable us to provide emergency replacements. Therefore, the principals have had no choice but to close the schools for the day.
Mr Bailey: The principals did not choose to close the schools. They were directed to close them by you. Get it right.
Mr FINCH: Not at all. The honourable member is not apprised correctly at all.
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Let us continue about this particular strike today, because it may have ongoing consequences, we understand, with the possibility of teachers walking out late this afternoon in sympathy. All of the appropriate, standard operating procedures for industrial action are in place in schools across the Territory, and they will be administered and implemented, hopefully, with reasonable notice by those strikers. The same will apply to those who want to walk off the job. If teachers walk off the job an hour early this afternoon and throw the schools into chaos, they will also not be paid for the day. Therefore, they should think carefully about next week because this is serious business.
Mr Bailey: This is the bully boy.
Mr FINCH: No, this is not the bully boy. Our students have been pushed around in this exercise. In particular, as the honourable member will know because of his contacts in high schools, Year 11 and 12 students have been pushed around. Half of last-year classes cannot do a practical music course because there are bans on orchestras and bans in schools. The pressure is on in the classroom.
Yesterday, students in a high school in Darwin were told by their teacher that if teachers out at Arnhem walked off today, then they would walk off. They added that, if they walked off, Year 12 students could kiss their final year goodbye. These teachers are prepared to do students out of not just a day's schooling, but the whole year - the most important year in those students' school life. Not even their university years will compare with that year. We are bringing this to a head.
Mr Bailey: Where is your evidence? You come in here and accuse the teachers ...
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mr FINCH: The parents of those students are on to that teacher today. That teacher will know, in no uncertain terms, what the views of ...
Mr Coulter: Don't you think the students know who it was?
Mr Stirling: That may be so. But in the meantime, you have brought down the whole profession.
Mr FINCH: You are the pro-strike man. You are the compulsory unionism man. Never let these people opposite near government. The people of the Northern Territory do not deserve such chaos and anarchy.
Let us get back to this particular day, because there are arrangements in place to ensure that, with a potential walkout again this afternoon, supervision will be provided and students will not be put at risk.
Mr Stirling: You would be better off fixing it instead of trying to cream them.
Mr FINCH: You would fix it all right. You would go along the NSW line, would you?
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Mr Stirling: We would give them a separate EBA.
Mr FINCH: The NSW line! How much money would you give them? Would you agree to the double claim they have now in New South Wales, for 24%? Or would you give them merely the 15%? You would not know what to give them, because you are as weak as water. You sit on your hands and the only part that moves is your mouth. Not even the inside of your head ticks!
Let us get back to some serious business. We have some major problems. We want to see an end to this dispute. We want to see those teachers back at school, doing the job faithfully, not half-heartedly and, in many cases, using classroom time to bully kids. That is not on. We want to get them back, and soon. This is a very serious matter which some very intelligent people must consider between now and Monday. If they want to continue the chaos and anarchy in our schools by striking, walking out, withdrawing their services for any period of any working day, then from Monday, they will go without their pay - indefinitely. Not only for one day, but indefinitely. If this dispute continues for 2 months, they will lose 2 months pay. It is not appropriate to reward people who put the careers of students at risk with a pat on the shoulder or a pocketful of money, as members opposite would. They would go for this
24%, saying there was nothing to worry about. Because the teachers union is their campaigner when it comes to election time, rather than upsetting it, members opposite would give it what it wants.
Mr Bailey: You should have your pay stopped because you are not doing your job. Your job is to resolve this dispute.
Mr FINCH: Your Labor buddies in New South Wales are beholden to the teachers union. We know where their 24% is going.
Let me tell you what this government will do for and on behalf of Year 12 students. Members opposite should listen to this because they all have constituents who are Year 12 students. We want to ensure that the best possible attention is given to the Year 12s to allow them to catch up on work missed in the second half of last year and the first half of this year.
Mr Bailey: Using your illegal database, you will mail out information that is slander. Is that what you intend to do?
Mr FINCH: No. For the 4-week stand-down period, we will have a revision camp throughout the Northern Territory for Year 12s to enable any subject that they feel they are behind on or have missed out on, any practical music classes that they have been denied access to ...
Mr Stirling interjecting.
Mr FINCH: Music practical is not just a matter of being able to do it better. It is a prerequisite component for the course. If you have not done the music practical, you fail! There are other subjects where kids have been denied the ability to undertake a compulsory component because of unacceptable bans. This mob opposite want us to reward that kind of action with a pay increase - not just a small pay increase but a big pay increase.
Page 1364
Mr Bailey: What pay increase have you had? Put it on the record.
Mr FINCH: I will tell you how we will fund this.
Mrs Hickey: You could not link it to productivity, could you?
Mr FINCH: This is very serious. Members opposite are giggling over this strike action today. They are giggling at our kids. They are giggling about the losses to parents ...
Mr Bailey: We want the dispute settled. We are concerned about kids. You are not.
Mr Stirling: There are no smiles on this side.
Mr FINCH: You are a giggler too. You have a great deal to answer for in Nhulunbuy. We will be able to pay for this from the money saved on strikers. I think that is a little bit of British justice.
Quite seriously, there are major problems and worries. This government will not stand by and see, in particular, Year 12 students exposed to this type of anarchy. We will not let them down. We will provide the best possible resources we can, particularly during the 4-week break, for them to attempt to catch up.
Page 1365
Mr Stirling: Your government closes the schools.
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, to take up the interjection from the member for Nhulunbuy, the striking teachers in his schools have closed those schools. No one else has.
Members interjecting.
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mr FINCH: As has been clearly demonstrated to the public in the Northern Territory, these latest rolling stoppages are in fact strikes. They are not about discussing the agenda.
Page 1361
They are not about discussing negotiations or offers that have been made. That was done for 2 weeks and ended last week. In fact, I will defy ...
Mr Stirling: Nobody in Nhulunbuy is fooled. They know who closed the schools.
Mr FINCH: The member for Nhulunbuy is very close to this strike in Nhulunbuy. Nhulunbuy has the biggest primary school in the Northern Territory and a high school that, because of its low numbers in the senior years, needs every possible assistance and input throughout the school year. Why does Nhulunbuy have a 100% stoppage? Why do those schools in his electorate, in his home town, have a 100% stoppage?
Mr Stirling: They are not the only schools with a 100% stoppage. You should look around.
Mr FINCH: They are, so far and universally. Teachers in every school within cooee of your voice are striking this morning - 100%. The principals are on duty, and the odd assistant principal.
Mr Bailey: There are principles involved in this, and you have none of them.
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mr FINCH: Given the advice to the principals that no teaching staff would be prepared to come and do their duty today ...
Mr Stirling: Rubbish! The teachers were at school this morning.
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mr FINCH: If the teachers have advised that they will be out 100% today, the principals are not able each to handle 650 students between 5 and 12 years old on their own, are they? It would be totally inappropriate for children to have been sent to those schools today at all. Or do you suggest that the pupils should come in after lunch when the teachers are ready to come back from their strike? No? You have no answer.
It is totally unreasonable and totally disgraceful, and the member for Nhulunbuy is in this up to his ears. Teachers in all schools within cooee of the sound of his voice are 100% off work. He knows that we cannot fly replacement teachers into places like Nhulunbuy or out to Yirrkala at short notice. We do not have office-based teachers there to enable us to provide emergency replacements. Therefore, the principals have had no choice but to close the schools for the day.
Mr Bailey: The principals did not choose to close the schools. They were directed to close them by you. Get it right.
Mr FINCH: Not at all. The honourable member is not apprised correctly at all.
Page 1362
Let us continue about this particular strike today, because it may have ongoing consequences, we understand, with the possibility of teachers walking out late this afternoon in sympathy. All of the appropriate, standard operating procedures for industrial action are in place in schools across the Territory, and they will be administered and implemented, hopefully, with reasonable notice by those strikers. The same will apply to those who want to walk off the job. If teachers walk off the job an hour early this afternoon and throw the schools into chaos, they will also not be paid for the day. Therefore, they should think carefully about next week because this is serious business.
Mr Bailey: This is the bully boy.
Mr FINCH: No, this is not the bully boy. Our students have been pushed around in this exercise. In particular, as the honourable member will know because of his contacts in high schools, Year 11 and 12 students have been pushed around. Half of last-year classes cannot do a practical music course because there are bans on orchestras and bans in schools. The pressure is on in the classroom.
Yesterday, students in a high school in Darwin were told by their teacher that if teachers out at Arnhem walked off today, then they would walk off. They added that, if they walked off, Year 12 students could kiss their final year goodbye. These teachers are prepared to do students out of not just a day's schooling, but the whole year - the most important year in those students' school life. Not even their university years will compare with that year. We are bringing this to a head.
Mr Bailey: Where is your evidence? You come in here and accuse the teachers ...
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mr FINCH: The parents of those students are on to that teacher today. That teacher will know, in no uncertain terms, what the views of ...
Mr Coulter: Don't you think the students know who it was?
Mr Stirling: That may be so. But in the meantime, you have brought down the whole profession.
Mr FINCH: You are the pro-strike man. You are the compulsory unionism man. Never let these people opposite near government. The people of the Northern Territory do not deserve such chaos and anarchy.
Let us get back to this particular day, because there are arrangements in place to ensure that, with a potential walkout again this afternoon, supervision will be provided and students will not be put at risk.
Mr Stirling: You would be better off fixing it instead of trying to cream them.
Mr FINCH: You would fix it all right. You would go along the NSW line, would you?
Page 1363
Mr Stirling: We would give them a separate EBA.
Mr FINCH: The NSW line! How much money would you give them? Would you agree to the double claim they have now in New South Wales, for 24%? Or would you give them merely the 15%? You would not know what to give them, because you are as weak as water. You sit on your hands and the only part that moves is your mouth. Not even the inside of your head ticks!
Let us get back to some serious business. We have some major problems. We want to see an end to this dispute. We want to see those teachers back at school, doing the job faithfully, not half-heartedly and, in many cases, using classroom time to bully kids. That is not on. We want to get them back, and soon. This is a very serious matter which some very intelligent people must consider between now and Monday. If they want to continue the chaos and anarchy in our schools by striking, walking out, withdrawing their services for any period of any working day, then from Monday, they will go without their pay - indefinitely. Not only for one day, but indefinitely. If this dispute continues for 2 months, they will lose 2 months pay. It is not appropriate to reward people who put the careers of students at risk with a pat on the shoulder or a pocketful of money, as members opposite would. They would go for this
24%, saying there was nothing to worry about. Because the teachers union is their campaigner when it comes to election time, rather than upsetting it, members opposite would give it what it wants.
Mr Bailey: You should have your pay stopped because you are not doing your job. Your job is to resolve this dispute.
Mr FINCH: Your Labor buddies in New South Wales are beholden to the teachers union. We know where their 24% is going.
Let me tell you what this government will do for and on behalf of Year 12 students. Members opposite should listen to this because they all have constituents who are Year 12 students. We want to ensure that the best possible attention is given to the Year 12s to allow them to catch up on work missed in the second half of last year and the first half of this year.
Mr Bailey: Using your illegal database, you will mail out information that is slander. Is that what you intend to do?
Mr FINCH: No. For the 4-week stand-down period, we will have a revision camp throughout the Northern Territory for Year 12s to enable any subject that they feel they are behind on or have missed out on, any practical music classes that they have been denied access to ...
Mr Stirling interjecting.
Mr FINCH: Music practical is not just a matter of being able to do it better. It is a prerequisite component for the course. If you have not done the music practical, you fail! There are other subjects where kids have been denied the ability to undertake a compulsory component because of unacceptable bans. This mob opposite want us to reward that kind of action with a pay increase - not just a small pay increase but a big pay increase.
Page 1364
Mr Bailey: What pay increase have you had? Put it on the record.
Mr FINCH: I will tell you how we will fund this.
Mrs Hickey: You could not link it to productivity, could you?
Mr FINCH: This is very serious. Members opposite are giggling over this strike action today. They are giggling at our kids. They are giggling about the losses to parents ...
Mr Bailey: We want the dispute settled. We are concerned about kids. You are not.
Mr Stirling: There are no smiles on this side.
Mr FINCH: You are a giggler too. You have a great deal to answer for in Nhulunbuy. We will be able to pay for this from the money saved on strikers. I think that is a little bit of British justice.
Quite seriously, there are major problems and worries. This government will not stand by and see, in particular, Year 12 students exposed to this type of anarchy. We will not let them down. We will provide the best possible resources we can, particularly during the 4-week break, for them to attempt to catch up.
Page 1365
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016