Abstract
On 15 July 2004, the College received a letter from Dr Michael Dudley, which he had signed on behalf of nine other Fellows, protesting at the publication of an advertisement by GSL (Australia) Pty. Ltd. in the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry (ANZJP).
The opening sentence of the letter read: We write in protest about the ANZJP carrying an advertisement for the health advisory panel in immigration detention and the College inviting Fellows to join the panel in letters signed by the President.
I was subsequently invited by the correspondence editor of the ANZJP to respond to a letter from Dr Dudley and the nine other signatories, which was to be published in ANZJP, protesting at the publication of the advertisement referred to above.
The opening sentence of this letter now reads: We write in protest about the ANZJP carrying an advertisement for the health advisory panel in immigration detention and the College inviting Fellows to join the panel in letters sent out by the College.
Whether the letters were ‘signed by the President’ or ‘sent out by the College’ is of no particular concern.
What is of concern is the erroneous impression conveyed in both letters that the College extended a general invitation to Fellows to join the panel.
There was no ‘invitation’ to join the panel. A decision on who would be appointed to the panel rested solely with GSL (Australia) Pty. Ltd.
The facts are that we wrote to three Fellows in response to a GSL (Australia) Pty. Ltd. request to nominate potential panel members.
Their names had been suggested by the Executive Officers as possible nominees and the letter sought to establish their interest.
The RANZCP received one reply expressing appreciation to the College executive for considering them and regretting that they were unable to nominate because of a conflicting commitment.
The RANZCP's ability to take a position on matters of public concern, now or in the future, will not be compromised by advertising in ANZJP or, indeed, Australasian Psychiatry, or any other College publication.
The RANZCP's opposition to the detention of children in immigration detention centres to which Dr Dudley's letter refers, for example, has been well publicised.
Furthermore, responsibility for the sale of advertising in ANZJP lies with Blackwell Publishing Asia. All advertisements published must meet current advertising and ethical standards.
Each issue of ANZJP carries a disclaimer, which says, in part, that ‘the publication of advertisements [does not] constitute any endorsement by the Publisher, College and Editors of the products advertised’.
The RANZCP's relationship with Blackwell Publishing Asia is governed by a commercial contract.