ALBURY MP Justin Clancy says his Catholic faith is important but it does not mean he views abortion "through a black and white prism".
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He spoke after Thurgoona Catholic priest Brendan Lee said he opposed a bill to decriminalise abortion in NSW while Albury Anglican priest Peter MacLeod-Miller endorsed the legislation being enacted.
The Reproductive Health Care Reform Bill will be introduced to parliament on Thursday by independent MP Alex Greenwich with debate to begin next Tuesday.
"There was some suggestion the bill be debated this week but I think it's important, given the gravity of the bill, that there is the time there to see a debate next week and all this week to reach out to the community," Mr Clancy said.
"Faith is very important to me and faith informs me, but it informs me in two ways," Mr Clancy said.
"Yes life is precious but there are complexities to life and this is something that shows the complexity of humanity.
"We're talking about people making a decision that often comes with a sense of isolation, hurt and trauma, so I'm conscious of that.
"Yes my faith is important to me but that doesn't mean I see things through a black and white prism."
Father Lee said he was against the bill because he believed it would result in vulnerable women facing more pressure to have an abortion and it would "scandalise children into thinking it's all okay".
"I'm encouraging people to pray against it and approach their local member," he said.
Father MacLeod-Miller said he would on Sunday be telling his parishioners it was a welcome move.
"I'll say this is an example of the world becoming more compassionate and more humane and how heartening it is to have a Christian Premier in Gladys Berejiklian who is voting for it," he said.
Wagga Nationals Upper House MP Wes Fang will vote for the bill.
"We know there's 20,000 abortions that happen in NSW every year and it's a bit of an anomaly it's in the Crimes Act here, but in other states, like Victoria and Queensland, they've removed it," he said.
"It's not an unreasonable bill, it brings us into line with other states and women deserve to have access to safe and legal reproductive health care."
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