Truth in advertising: a right for women?

Yet the situation remains urgent. Today, the Federal government launched its "pregnancy support" telephone line as part of its $51 million suite of interventions to reduce what the Federal Health Minister Tony Abbott calls the “national disgrace” of Australia’s abortion rate.

The “Helpline” continues to inspire concern among Federal women Senators. Senator Stott Despoja, for instance, has recently worried that the telephone line would not provide relevant or specific information or helpful referrals. Because it will be a free service, anxiety about the truthfulness of the ads run to notify the public of its existence are also a concern.

A new campaign, jointly sponsored by GetUp and Reproductive Choice Australia, will urge Australians to support the passage of the cross-party truth in advertising Bill. Last year 20,000 citizens signed a petition supporting honest advertising of pregnancy counselling services. The current campaign aims to inform Australians that if they want another RU486-type victory - an empowering piece of legislation by women, for women - they need to make their support for the right of all Australians to truthful advertising clear.

Will a pro-transparency groundswell of public support be enough? I think yes. While well-funded and organised, supporters of deceptive and misleading advertising are few in number. I feel confident that the majority of decent Australians - once they realise that existing consumer protection legislation leaves a vulnerable group of women out in the cold - will act to ensure their elected representatives know that they strongly support change.

Regardless of their personal view of abortion, most Australians understand that truth in advertising is the basis of informed consent and individual choice, and that these principles - core to our liberal pluralist democracy - must not be traded away.