The Federal Government funds nearly 30 pregnancy counselling hotlines. All of them are run by pro-life organisations.

http://www.abc.net.au/lateline/content/2006/s1716798.htm

Lateline broadcast this programme a couple of nights ago.
The transcript link is above.

People who had rung some of these so called "hotlines" were accused of being murderers and worse. None of these organisations seems to be providing genuine bipartisan advice. AFAIK, all pro-life groups have a religious agenda, with the Catholic Church heavily involved. The way I see it, taxpayers funds are effectively being used to promote a religious agenda! I think that stinks.

These deliberately deceptive so-called counselling services need setting up. Phone conversations need to be recorded and, if inappropriate tactics and/or language are used, these recordings should be aired through the media.

And personal consultations should be secretly recorded too. Then we'd find out for sure what kind of advice was being offered.

Tony Abbott is probably psychologically unable to admit to the deception. Or maybe he's so brainwashed that he can't even see it. What about 'Don't bear false witness'. It's amazing, isn't it, how religious control freaks selectively ignore this Commandment and instead seem to prefer 'the end justifies the means'.

False and/or deceptive advertising is supposed to be illegal in Australia. How about a simple statement like 'This is a counselling service which does not generally support abortion as an option, but is happy to advise on various other options'. But, just like shonky salespeople and confidence tricksters, they're not honest enough to simply tell the truth.

I'd be interested to know who all those services are. Seems extraordinary if it is true that they are all pro-life.

But I don't think this is an issue about religion per se. It would be a pretty poor world if the only ideology that wasn't allowed in politics was religion! I think the issue is one of transparency and inclusiveness.

I agree about transparency and inclusiveness. The question for me
is how far religious ideology should be allowed to influence
members of Govt, in their decisionmaking for the rest of us.

Lets say that the Health Minister was a JW. Upon ringing Govt
funded Health Councelling services, people were told that blood
transfusions were evil and people should not have them. There
would be a huge outcry! If the Health Minister was a Muslim
and some Islamic ideology was being promoted, there would similarly
be a huge outcry!

The Catholic Church is an extremely political organisation, on
a worldwide scale. Every pro-life group that I have checked out,
has led back to them. Are these councellors qualified? What
about deceptive advertising? I have no problem with freedom of
religion, but I also believe in freedom from religion, for those
of us who think its hogwash.

It seems that there is a bit of a development on this story.
My politics is issue based, not party based. I've often been
a critic of Natasha, but this time I think she got it right,
trying to introduce truth of advertising into the "pregnancy
councelling" industry. After all, any company that falsely
advertises it's goods or services, is soon dragged over the coals.

That was the point of Natasha's bill, but the way I read it,
it was canned by a liberal member, who has received funding
from the Right to Life mob. The conspiracy deepens!

http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/mp-who-felled-abortion-ad-bill-funded-by-lobby/2006/08/19/1155408071255.html

Greens Senator Kerry Nettle has some interesting things to say on this:
http://www.kerrynettle.org.au/300_campaigns_sub.php?&deptItemID=41

This is why the alleged deceptive advertising is not investigated:
'In October last year Kerry wrote to Mr Graeme Samuel of the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission (ACCC) asking him to investigate whether misleading or deceptive practices of particular pregnancy counselling services were in breach of the Trade Practices Act.

The ACCC replied that as these services do not charge fees for the counselling they provide, they are outside the jurisdiction of the Trade Practices Act.'

Seems that if you're giving away the 'counselling' equivalent of snake oil, rather than selling it, then you can get away with it!

And this is how to separate the honest counselling services from the deceptive ones:
'Click here for the latest online version of the Greens Online Guide to Pregnancy Counselling Services

If you would like to be sent hard copies of the Guide please contact my office on 02 9690 2038 or send your request including your postal address and the amount required via email to: Senator.Nettle@aph.gov.a'