Another Voiceless billboard in Sydney. Credit:Voiceless/Ray Drew The proposed bus ad featured a kangaroo and her joey with the words "Their fate is in your hands" and urged people to take a pledge against kangaroo cruelty. In vetoing the campaign, Transport for NSW told Voiceless that the authority had not seen the ad in question but had concerns about the content on the Voiceless website. Voiceless had advertising approval from the Outdoor Media Association, the peak national industry body that represents most of Australia's outdoor media display companies. While the association provides guidance on advertising content, it is left to the discretion of the owners of advertising space whether any content is acceptable.

A tale of two campaigns: Animals Australia raises awareness on Sydney buses about live animal exports. Credit:Animals Australia The ad was accepted by the NSW bus operators, Voiceless believes, but Transport for NSW exercised its veto powers under the bus contract to reject the advertisement. "This is an appalling action from a government agency that is unwilling to listen to minority groups or even allow such groups to share their message with the public," Voiceless head of communications Elise Burgess said. "The Voiceless ad was not offensive, distressing or political in any way; it simply asked the public to consider the fate of kangaroos within the commercial shooting trade. "This is why we were able to respond quickly and secure major billboard spaces instead.

"There are a number of examples where animal protection messages have been displayed on NSW buses with apparently no concern from any government agencies, so why is it that the Voiceless campaign about the plight of kangaroos is rejected?" The action comes just weeks after the NSW government announced its so-called anti-protest laws to prevent protest action against mining projects. "Clearly the scales are heavily weighted against advocates who oppose commercial interests," Ms Burgess said. "Voiceless is currently campaigning against the cruelty within the commercial kangaroo industry, a tiny trade with a massive welfare impact. "Every year, 3 million kangaroos are hunted for profit while their joeys are either abandoned to starve or violently killed through bludgeoning or decapitation.

"One of the issues Transport for NSW raised as potentially 'distressing' was our reference to the fact that some 800,000 joeys are killed as part of the kangaroo trade, many by decapitation - a practice that is required under the government code regulating the trade. "Over the years, Voiceless has consistently come under attack for speaking out for kangaroos, but we will never give up trying to protect these beautiful creatures. "Australians have the right to learn about this trade and make an informed decision." A Transport for NSW spokesperson told Fairfax Media:﻿ "Transport for NSW holds contracts with bus operators which contain provisions that require operators to comply with certain standards in relation to the display of bus advertising on government-funded buses. "Those standards include general advertising requirements regarding compliance with laws and relevant codes.

"As contract buses are publicly funded, those standards also restrict the display of political or similar matter, or advertising that may offend." John Kelly, executive officer of the Kangaroo Industries Association of Australia, told Fairfax Media: "The Voiceless campaign is full of outright lies and misrepresentations, and that's not our opinion, that's the opinion of a collection of the most informed wildlife scientists in the country. "Nearly 30 of them have gone to the extraordinary position of signing [a] letter to this effect. They note for example that Voiceless seem to think it's possible for female kangaroos to have 10 joeys at any one time, and that this is, in fact, the norm. "Voiceless have overstepped the mark on deceiving the public on this one. The fact that so many highly respected and independent scientists are willing to put their name to a document confirming that the Voiceless 'science' isn't to be trusted is a damning indictment. "It's one thing to try to inform the public on important issues, it's another thing altogether to deceive the public, that's illegal.

"The kangaroo industry is tightly regulated and monitored to ensure it is sustainable and humane. "It performs an essential environmental management service by controlling kangaroo numbers and in doing so creates jobs and fantastic products." Greens NSW MP and animal welfare spokeswoman Mehreen Faruqi said: "It is pretty outrageous that these ads would be banned, especially without Transport for NSW even seeing them. "Transport for NSW needs to explain why this was done at the last minute and whether anyone influenced this decision. "This is the latest in a very disturbing trend in NSW of shutting down debate.

"Commercial harvesting of kangaroos has real problems around sustainability and animal cruelty. People have a right to know."