Broadcaster and saxophonist James Valentine died this week 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.”
While all Australian jurisdictions except the Northern Territory have legalised VAD, advocates hope Valentine’s case will push the federal government to address structural barriers. VAD applications rose 41% in 2024–2025 compared to the previous period, but four in ten patients who started the process did not complete it.
Dr Linda Swan, chief executive of Go Gentle Australia, said people are “dying waiting to get access to assisted dying” because regulatory hurdles take too long to navigate. She noted Australia is the only nation with commonwealth legislation banning telehealth for VAD, a particular barrier for rural and remote patients. “It is so frustrating that we are struggling with this barrier when common sense says these are exactly the people that you should be helping to access care,” she said.
The federal attorney general, Michelle Rowland, called VAD “a very sensitive and personal issue” and said the government is considering complex issues arising from the interaction between commonwealth law and state and territory schemes. Since 2019, 14,686 terminally ill people have sought VAD, with 7,082 dying using a VAD substance. There were 3,329 VAD deaths in 2024–2025, a 48% increase on the previous year.
Swan said VAD still represents about 2% of deaths but is expected to double to 5% over the next decade, requiring more resourcing and training. A Go Gentle report found services are reaching an “inflection point” where demand will soon exceed capacity, citing process complexity, difficulties finding trained practitioners, and obstruction by some faith-based aged care homes and hospitals.
