Beloved broadcaster and saxophonist James Valentine has died at home surrounded by family after choosing voluntary assisted dying (VAD). His wife Joanne and children Ruby and Roy said in a statement: 'Throughout his illness, James did it his way, which lasted all the way until the end. Both he and his family are grateful he was given the option to go out on his own terms.'
Valentine's death has reignited calls for the federal government to address barriers to VAD access. While every Australian jurisdiction except the Northern Territory has legalised VAD, applications rose 41% in 2024-2025, yet four in 10 patients who started the process did not complete it. Dr Linda Swan, chief executive of Go Gentle Australia, said people were 'dying waiting to get access to assisted dying' due to regulatory hurdles.
Australia remains the only nation with commonwealth legislation preventing telehealth use during the VAD process, a barrier Swan called 'horrendous' for rural and immobile patients. 'Common sense says these are exactly the people that you should be helping to access care,' she said. The federal attorney general, Michelle Rowland, acknowledged the issue, stating the government is considering interactions between commonwealth laws and state VAD schemes.
Since 2019, 14,686 terminally ill people have sought VAD, with 7,082 dying using a VAD substance. In 2024-2025, there were 3,329 VAD deaths, a 48% increase on the previous year. A Go Gentle report warns services are reaching an 'inflection point' where demand will exceed capacity, citing process complexity, difficulty finding trained practitioners, and obstruction by faith-based aged care homes.
