Matthew Carney reported this story on Saturday, June 2, 2012 08:16:00

ELIZABETH JACKSON: The official opening of a pro-life pregnancy clinic in Sydney today is set to spark a new round of conflict between pro and anti abortion groups.



The clinic has called itself Pregnant Alternatives and has opened directly opposite a legal abortion centre.



Pro-choicers say the name of the new clinic is deceptive and they've called for changes to the laws to ensure that the centre will be up-front with its patients.



Pro-life groups say they're just providing a service that is much needed in the community.



Matthew Carney reports.



MATTHEW CARNEY: Ali Maegraith, the manager of Pregnant Alternatives, does admit it's a little provocative opening up directly opposite an abortion clinic in the inner Sydney suburb of Surry Hills.



ALI MAEGRAITH: It would draw publicity to our centre and it would be noticed a bit more, and perhaps the reasons and the cause that we have for being there may become known a lot more.



MATTHEW CARNEY: So it's provocative in a sense, was it?



ALI MAEGRAITH: I suppose it is, yeah, yep.



MATTHEW CARNEY: And Ms Maegraith does concede that calling the clinic Pregnant Alternatives could be seen as misleading.



As a Christian centre, they will not be referring clients to any abortion clinics.



ALI MAEGRAITH: Perhaps that's something that we really need to rethink because we do want to make it very obvious what our service is. And on our signage out the front of our centre we make it very clear: "support services and help for pregnancy".



MATTHEW CARNEY: Paul Nattrass, the manager of the abortion clinic across the road, is worried that the pro-lifers will try and divert his patients.



PAUL NATTRASS: Why does a pregnancy counselling service decide to open up across the road from a termination clinic?



It leads us to sort of suspect that they're perhaps acting in a deceptive manner, trying to induce patients who are looking for the termination clinic into their counselling service by mistake.



MATTHEW CARNEY: Lee Rhiannon, the Greens senator, wants the laws clarified, so clinics like Pregnant Alternatives can be subjected to the Trade Practices Act to prevent misleading advertising.



Currently not-for-profit centres can describe themselves in any way they want.



LEE RHIANNON: By using deception and dishonesty to lure women in when they're in a vulnerable situation, under the pretext that they may be able to get a full range of services, even considering a possible termination, is really wrong. And the Greens do believe that the Trade Practices Laws need to be clarified, because women do deserve full protection.



MATTHEW CARNEY: The new clinic is backed by prominent anti-abortionists.



New South Wales Attorney-General and former president of the New South Wales Right to Life Association, Greg Smith, has been involved in fundraising events.



The Greens have tried to put up two federal bills to parliament in 2005 and 2006 to regulate pregnancy counselling services, and Lee Rhiannon says she'll try again.



Ms Maegraith says they'll be up front with the women that come in.



ALI MAEGRAITH: We've made it very clear to - if women come into our clinic before we do anything we make it very clear that we don't refer to abortion clinics, so they're not under any confusion there.



ELIZABETH JACKSON: That was Ali Maegraith, manager of Pregnant Alternatives, ending that report from Matthew Carney.