THE Australian Education Union is using schoolchildren to flex its political power by standing a candidate in a coming by-election, the Northern Territory's attorney-general says.
It was revealed on Tuesday that the AEU would endorse a candidate for the seat of Blain in Palmerston, 20km outside of Darwin.
The seat was previously held by former Chief Minister Terry Mills, who was dumped while on a trade trip to Japan last March.
He held the seat for the Country Liberal Party by a margin of about 13 per cent, which Labor hopes to rattle, but the move by the AEU could challenge its aspirations.
"We decided another way to put pressure on this government would be to run a credible candidate who would be able to advocate outside of party lines to actually represent the electors of Blain in a positive way," AEU president Matthew Cranitch told AAP on Tuesday.
The announcement of the independent candidate will be made in the next few days, he said.
"We would endorse and support a candidate who has the same views as us for the need for education to be seen as an investment rather than a cost," he said.
"We have no intention of being a political party."
He rejected the Labor candidate, police officer Geoff Bahnert, as unrepresentative and lacking credibility in the electorate.
Teachers at NT government schools will strike all day on Friday.
They are refusing to sign an enterprise bargaining agreement that would see almost $100 a fortnight more in their pay, and are demanding better conditions in the face of sweeping cuts to education and teacher jobs.
"It's not about the incomes of teachers, it's about outcomes for students," Mr Cranitch said.
"If it's not about the money, sign up to the EBA and let's talk about policy," said Attorney-General John Elferink.
"For the AEU to say 'the government has forced us to do this' is essentially arguing from the perspective of someone who's taken a hostage.
"We will not kowtow to unions who think they can use the students of the NT as a vehicle to push union power."
The AEU's candidate will most likely splinter Labor's vote rather than damage the CLP, but the way Mr Mills was treated by his colleagues could see a swing against the government.
When asked how damaging for Labor the AEU's role in the election would be, Opposition Leader Delia Lawrie told AAP: "We are fully supportive of territory teachers, families and students that are suffering from the drastic cuts and cruelty of an uncaring CLP government."
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