Mrs HICKEY - 1996-05-14
For 8 months, the Chief Minister has sat back and watched his ministers make an absolute mess of the dispute with Territory teachers. His ministers have been responsible for inflaming this dispute and prolonging the disruption to Territory schools. I know the Chief Minister has been very busy in South-East Asia, but my question to him is as follows: why has he encouraged his government's mishandling of this matter, and why has he been incapable of showing the leadership needed to bring the dispute to a resolution?
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, the cheap shot, 'spending all his time in South-East Asia', came from someone who has just announced, in the opposition's administrative arrangements, that she has taken responsibility as a shadow minister in that area of government. Let me say to the Leader of the Opposition that I do not spend all my time in South-East Asia.
Mrs Hickey: That is not what was said.
Mr STONE: That was what you said, and that was the implication you sought to convey, as though there had been neglect of this very important issue that has now been running for some 8 months. The real victims, the pawns in it all, are our kids and their education.
I will quote here the national executive member from the AEU who said on radio: 'The Territory is part of the national push by the AEU to achieve a 15% outcome from enterprise bargaining in the period to the end of this year'. The member for Fannie Bay was outside Parliament House, addressing the teachers. The member stood there and said: 'Don't you worry, Territory Labor is 110% behind you'.
Ms Martin: 100%.
Mr STONE: '110%' were the words quoted to me. On a national push, on a national campaign! I have to ask: why is it that the Labor Party is prepared to support the teachers union on a national push? Why will it not get together with its colleagues in the teachers union and impress upon them the importance of accepting the offer - an offer which is fair, an offer that has been available to them now for some 8 months and on which the government has continued to move and to which it has continued to add? I want Territorians to understand this. The government offered even to backdate the increase to 16 January this year, and that was after all the disruptions to the education of our children.
The Labor Party stands condemned for the role that it has played in keeping this dispute going. Its fingerprints are all over it. High-ranking officials of the ALP, on the teachers' union executive, have worked hand-in-glove with members opposite who are prepared - and this is the tragedy of it - to compromise and sacrifice our children's education for cheap political points. The Territory community will condemn them.
Page 1327
Mr Stirling: You want to look at your minister's ...
Mr STONE: The member for Nhulunbuy interjects. We have seen the backflips he has done on this. He was the man who said initially that he condemned the industrial action. Of course, when they went and heavied him, he did a backflip. He said he had been misunderstood, that it was not what he had said. I say to the Leader of the Opposition that, if she wants to show some leadership, she will tell her mates and her cronies in the teachers union to leave our kids alone. She will tell the teachers to get back to work and allow the business of education in the Territory to proceed.
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ANSWER
Mr Speaker, the cheap shot, 'spending all his time in South-East Asia', came from someone who has just announced, in the opposition's administrative arrangements, that she has taken responsibility as a shadow minister in that area of government. Let me say to the Leader of the Opposition that I do not spend all my time in South-East Asia.
Mrs Hickey: That is not what was said.
Mr STONE: That was what you said, and that was the implication you sought to convey, as though there had been neglect of this very important issue that has now been running for some 8 months. The real victims, the pawns in it all, are our kids and their education.
I will quote here the national executive member from the AEU who said on radio: 'The Territory is part of the national push by the AEU to achieve a 15% outcome from enterprise bargaining in the period to the end of this year'. The member for Fannie Bay was outside Parliament House, addressing the teachers. The member stood there and said: 'Don't you worry, Territory Labor is 110% behind you'.
Ms Martin: 100%.
Mr STONE: '110%' were the words quoted to me. On a national push, on a national campaign! I have to ask: why is it that the Labor Party is prepared to support the teachers union on a national push? Why will it not get together with its colleagues in the teachers union and impress upon them the importance of accepting the offer - an offer which is fair, an offer that has been available to them now for some 8 months and on which the government has continued to move and to which it has continued to add? I want Territorians to understand this. The government offered even to backdate the increase to 16 January this year, and that was after all the disruptions to the education of our children.
The Labor Party stands condemned for the role that it has played in keeping this dispute going. Its fingerprints are all over it. High-ranking officials of the ALP, on the teachers' union executive, have worked hand-in-glove with members opposite who are prepared - and this is the tragedy of it - to compromise and sacrifice our children's education for cheap political points. The Territory community will condemn them.
Page 1327
Mr Stirling: You want to look at your minister's ...
Mr STONE: The member for Nhulunbuy interjects. We have seen the backflips he has done on this. He was the man who said initially that he condemned the industrial action. Of course, when they went and heavied him, he did a backflip. He said he had been misunderstood, that it was not what he had said. I say to the Leader of the Opposition that, if she wants to show some leadership, she will tell her mates and her cronies in the teachers union to leave our kids alone. She will tell the teachers to get back to work and allow the business of education in the Territory to proceed.
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Last updated: 09 Aug 2016