Queensland could become the fourth state to legalise euthanasia with a voluntary assisted dying bill to be introduced to parliament next week.
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Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk says the proposed laws are aimed exclusively at people who are suffering or dying.
She will allow Labor MPs a conscience vote and indicated she will support it after witnessing the slow and painful deaths of her grandmother and uncle last year.
"I'm a Catholic, I've thought about this long and hard," Ms Palaszczuk told reporters on Tuesday.
"I've had a lot of personal experiences in the last 12 months, and I have made up my mind based on what I have seen and those experiences.
"This is a choice, and it's not going to be the right choice for a lot of people, but it's got to be an option for people, and far be it for me to make that individual choice on how a person wishes to end their life."
Opposition Leader David Crisafulli said he would also allow Liberal National Party MPs a conscience vote on the bill.
He said opposition MPs would be encouraged to study the bill and consult their constituents before the vote.
"I'm not going to be flippant with it. I'm not going to use it as a political weapon, there's been enough of that," he told reporters.
"We're going to treat it with the respect it deserves, and I'm going to be insisting that all of my team do the same."
The Greens and independent MP Sandy Bolton support euthanasia, but the Katter's Australian Party will oppose it.
One Nation MP Stephen Andrew plans to study the bill before making any decision.
Under the bill, patients must have either a disease, illness or medical condition that is advanced, progressive and will cause death.
Their condition must be expected to cause their death within 12 months and it must causing suffering that is "intolerable".
Patients will have to be assessed to be acting voluntarily and without coercion, aged at least 18 and be a Queensland resident.
Patients will also need to make three applications over a period of at least nine days.
Health practitioners must tell applicants that they can change their mind at any point during the process.
Each application will be assessed by a doctor and overseen by a second doctor.
Health Minister Yvette D'Ath said medical practitioners would not be able to recommend euthanasia and would be allowed to be conscientious objectors.
Patients will be able to self-administer euthanasia drugs or have a health practitioner do so.
The bill will be debated in September and, if it passes, a euthanasia system will be in place by May 2022.
Victoria is the only Australian state in which voluntary assisted dying is active, while Western Australia and Tasmania have passed their own laws
South Australia is also a step closer to having a voluntary assisted dying regime after the state's upper house recently passed legislation.
Australian Associated Press
