Howard Snubs another UN Body

Date: 17 March 2000

Australia has again been found in breach by an international body, Shadow Trade Minister, Senator Peter Cook last night told the Senate.

Senator Cook last night moved that the Senate note the International Labour Organisation's recent finding that the Howard Government's Workplace Relations Act breached the ILO Convention on Collective Bargaining, and amend the Act accordingly. Unfortunately, the debate was adjourned without a vote.

"Labor is dismayed at Australia once more being carpeted by a United Nations body," said Senator Cook.

"As a Senate report foreshadowed in August 1996, the Workplace Relations Act does not meet our international obligations. The report specifically warned that the Act did not appear to comply with the Convention on Collective Bargaining.

"The Coalition's approach to the United Nations is utterly inconsistent. In 1992, when I was Industrial Relations Minister, the Coalition called on Labor to amend the Industrial Relations Act to conform with an ILO ruling.

"On the issue of heroin trials, John Howard is happy to invoke international law.

"Yet when it does not suit him, Mr Howard is happy to spurn the United Nations - as it has done with the UN Committee on the Elimination of all forms of Racial Discrimination; the UN Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organisation; the UN Conference on Climate Change; and now the UN's industrial arm, the ILO.

"Every time John Howard shrugs off another reprimand from the international community, our global standing falls. This can only be bad for our international diplomacy, and for our trade deficit, presently at its worst ever level."

For further information

Contact:	Andrew Leigh
Union:	ALP Federal
Phone:	0412 633 652

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