2 January 2007

PREGNANCY COUNSELLING SERVICES ANNOUNCEMENT POSES QUESTIONS

The Health Minister’s decision to award the National Pregnancy Support Telephone Helpline to McKesson Asia Pacific Limited poses a number of questions, not least whether the subcontracted Catholic organisations will provide unbiased advice on something they are philosophically opposed to, namely, abortion.

Spokesperson for the Australian Reproductive Health Alliance, Ms Jenny Goldie, says the Minister for Health, Mr Abbott, needs to be more explicit about what ‘non-directive counselling’ actually means.

“Will they actually tell people who phone in with an unintended pregnancy how to acquire an abortion - if that is what they choose of the three options available?” asks Ms Goldie. “We accept the counsellors will be ‘professional’ but does that include the counsellors exploring the option of abortion equally with keeping the child or adopting the child once it is born?”

Ms Goldie also wonders who are the “independent experts in fields of psychiatry, obstetrics and gynaecology” who the Minister says will support McKesson in the helpline service.

Ms Goldie welcomed the selection of Family Planning Western Australia to develop a training package for the helpline counsellors.

“We trust Family Planning Australia will come up with an excellent training package. It is our hope that the counsellors will abide by the training they get,” Ms Goldie says.

Further information: Jenny Goldie 02 6282 8922