Opposition Leader Peter Malinauskas says he will support euthanasia Bill

Labor leader Peter Malinauskas has signalled his intent to vote in favour of voluntary euthanasia.

A historic Bill to legalise euthanasia in South Australia will be introduced in the Lower House on Wednesday and will likely pass in early June, thanks in part to the support of Opposition Leader Peter Malinauskas.

Premier Steven Marshall on Monday night announced a change in the way the Voluntary Assisted Dying Bill would be handled, following pressure from some within the Liberal Party room.

In a move that may put the Catholic Labor Leader at odds with the Catholic Church, Mr Malinauskas ­on Monday told The Advertiser that he would vote in favour of the legislation.

The Catholic Archbishop of Adelaide last week urged the church community in SA to lobby their local MPs to vote against the Bill, saying it enshrines the idea that some human lives are not worth living and can be ended with the blessing of the state.

Mr Malinauskas said he did not harbour any concerns over his decision clashing with the Catholic Church’s stance.

Mr Malinauskas’s support means the proposed legislation now has enough support to pass the Lower House.

An exclusive Advertiser survey on Friday of all Lower House MPs, excluding speaker Josh Teague, found 23, including Mr Marshall, were committed to voting in support of the bill.

Mr Malinauskas’s support means 24 MPs have signalled their intent to vote in favour of the Bill, enough for it to pass.

Opposition Leader Peter Malinauskas’s intent to vote in favour of the Bill may put him at odds with the Catholic Church. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Kelly Barnes

“I spoke to a whole range of people both for and against the Bill,” Mr Malinauskas said.

“On balance, I think it’s the best version of the Bill and it’s worthy of my support.”

Mr Malinauskas said he was open to consider amendments to the Bill, including measures surrounding conscientious objections.

Only three MPS – Tom Koutsantonis, Michael Brown and Adrian Pederick – have publicly declared their intent to vote against the Bill.

All others were undecided while a handful did not respond to The Advertiser’s survey.

The proposed Voluntary Assisted Dying legislation was introduced in the Upper House by Kyam Maher and was passed by the Legislative Council last Wednesday.

It was the 17th time a Bill to legalise euthanasia had been introduced in State Parliament and the first time it had passed a chamber of parliament.

Mr Marshall last Thursday said he had decided to progress debate on the proposed Bill “immediately” and was allocating Government business time to debate the legislation in the Lower House.

However, the Bill was not included in this week’s parliamentary program.

On Friday, Mr Marshall said the Bill would be introduced in the Lower House in the coming weeks.

It is understood the delay was due to conservative Liberals being concerned that if the Bill was dealt with in Government business time, as the Premier had suggested, it may be seen as being a Government vote, rather than a conscience vote.

At a party room meeting on Monday night to thrash out how the Bill would be handled, Mr Marshall said the legislation would instead proceed as a private member’s motion.

This means it will be dealt with in private member’s time and will be introduced by Deputy Opposition Leader Susan Close on Wednesday.

Speaking after the party room meeting, Mr Marshall denied he had been forced into the move by conservative colleagues.

He said debate on the Bill would occur on May 26 and it should be finalised by early June.

“I would expect that by the end of that session on the ninth of June that we will be in a position to resolve this one way or another,” he said.

The Bill would give people living in SA for at least a year, who are aged 18 years or older and have been diagnosed with an incurable disease, illness or condition that is advanced, progressive and is expected to cause death within weeks or months, access to euthanasia.