(1) What are the names of the Australian delegates to the International Labour Organisation (ILO) Conferences in 1998, 1999 and 2000.

(2) How did Australian (a) Government; (b) employers and (c) workers delegates vote on each convention and recommendation adopted by each of the Conferences.

(3) To what positions did Australia seek election at the Conferences.

(4) Which members of the Far East Asia and Pacific sub-region were elected as members and deputy members of the ILO Governing Body at the Conferences.

(5) Where and when will the next regional meeting be held.

(6) What ILO Conventions have been considered for ratification by Australia since 1997 and when were they considered.

(7) By what process and with what outcome were the Conventions considered.

(1) The Australian delegates accredited to each International Labour Conference (ILC) were as follows:

1998 - Mr Tom Fisher and Mr Alex Anderson (Government delegates); Ms Robyn Kingston (Government adviser, Australia-based); Mr Eric Van Der Wal and Mr John Campbell (Government advisers, Geneva-based); Mr Bryan Noakes (Employer delegate); Mr John Sutton (Worker delegate); and Mr Alan Matheson (Worker adviser).

1999 - Mr Phil Drever and Mr Alex Anderson (Government delegates); Mr Eric Van Der Wal and Mr Les Luck (Government advisers, Geneva-based); Mr Bryan Noakes (Employer delegate) Mr Adrian Dangerfield (Employer adviser); and Mr Alan Matheson AM (Worker delegate).

. The Minister For Employment, Workplace Relations and Small Business the Hon Peter Reith MP, attended the Conference in 1999. In accordance with usual practice when the Minister attends, the Opposition spokesman (Mr Arch Bevis MP) and the Democrats' spokesman (Senator Andrew Murray) on industrial relations also attended. The NSW Minister for Industrial Relations, Mr Jeff Shaw, attended at the cost of the NSW Government.

. Until 2000, the Ambassador was accredited as a Government adviser, as a diplomatic courtesy. Despite this accreditation, the Ambassador was not a working member of the delegation.

2000 - Mr Phil Drever and Mr John Stewart (Government delegates); Ms Jennifer Bushell (Government adviser, Australia-based); Mr Bryan Noakes (Employer delegate); and Mr Alan Matheson AM (Worker delegate).

(2) The Australian employer and worker delegates are members of the employer and worker groups. These groups generally vote as blocs. Accordingly, in this part of the answer, references are made to how the employer and worker groups voted, except where voting did not occur in blocs.

The 1998 ILC adopted Recommendation No 189, General Conditions to Stimulate Job Creation in Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises, 1998. The Australian Government delegates, the employer group and the worker group voted in plenary for the Recommendation.

The 1999 ILC adopted Convention No 182, Worst Forms of Child Labour, 1999 and Recommendation No 190, Worst Forms of Child Labour, 1999. The Australian Government delegates, the employer group and the worker group voted in plenary for both the Convention and the Recommendation.

The 2000 ILC adopted a revised Convention and Recommendation on Maternity Protection (official text and titles yet to be finalised). The Australian Government delegates and the worker group voted in plenary for the Convention and the Recommendation. The employer group did not vote as a bloc; Mr Noakes abstained from voting on both instruments.

The 2000 ILC also voted to withdraw five obsolete Conventions pending their later abrogation. These Conventions were:

Hours of Work (Coal Mines) Convention, 1931 (No 31)

Hours of Work (Coal Mines) Convention (Revised), 1935 (No 46)

Reduction of Hours of Work (Public Works) Convention, 1936 (No 51)

Reduction of Hours of Work (Textiles) Convention, 1937 (No 61)

Migration for Employment Convention, 1939 (No 66)

The Australian Government delegates, the employer group and the worker group voted in plenary for the withdrawal of the Conventions.

(3) Mr Alex Anderson was elected member of the Drafting Committee of the Committee on Child Labour at the 1999 ILC. Mr Bryan Noakes was elected Vice-Chairperson of the Committee on Contract Labour at the 1998 ILC.

(4) Elections for the Governing Body of the ILO are conducted every three years. At the 1999 ILC, the Republic of Korea was elected as the titular member representing the Far East Asia and Pacific sub-region for the period 1999-2002, and New Zealand was elected deputy member.

(5) The 13th Asian Regional Meeting of the ILO will be held in Bangkok on 25-28 September 2001.

(6) and (7) Under the consultative arrangements agreed by the Commonwealth, States and Territories, the Commonwealth consults the States and Territories before any decision is taken on whether to ratify an ILO Convention. The official text of the relevant instruments is first sent to State and Territory governments and the ACCI and ACTU, who are asked for their views on whether the Convention should be ratified. The governments are also asked to provide full law and practice reports, identifying areas of non-compliance (if any).

The information provided is used for the preparation of a tabling report detailing action proposed to be taken, including whether or not the Convention will be ratified.

This report is presented to Parliament, together with copies of the instruments. Under Article 19 of the ILO Constitution, the submission of the texts of new instruments to the `competent authority' (in Australia's case, the Federal Parliament) is required within 18 months of their adoption by the ILC.

Following tabling, the Government is then required to report to the ILO on action proposed to be taken in respect of the new instruments. It is in this context that ILO Conventions and Recom-mendations adopted since 1997 have been considered with regard to possible ratification.

Convention No 181, Private Employment Agencies, 1997 and Recommendation No 188, Private Employment Agencies, 1997 were adopted by the 1997 ILC. The instruments were tabled in the House of Representatives and the Senate on 8 December 1999. The tabling report stated:

Taking into account the comments received and the significant identified difficulties with compliance with the Convention, and that ratification may pose an unnecessary regulatory burden on a number of governments because of the mandatory prescriptive nature of the instruments, the Commonwealth has determined that the new ILO instruments concerning Private Employment Agencies are not suitable for acceptance. At this stage, Australia therefore does not propose to consider ratification of the Convention.

Convention No 182, Worst Form of Child Labour, adopted by the 1999 ILC, is expected to be tabled in the Parliament by 17 December 2000. Consultations with State and Territory governments are proceeding.

The new Convention and Recommendation on Maternity Protection are expected to be tabled in the Parliament before 15 December 2001. The consultation process will commence once the official text of the instruments is finalised by the ILO and they are received by the Australian Government.