Nicole Johnston

From his diagnosis with esophageal cancer in 2024 to openly wrestling with end-of-life decisions, beloved ABC broadcaster and long-time voice of Sydney Afternoons, James Valentine, took his listeners along with him as he stared down his own death.

Now after his passing that openness continues with James's decision to share the fact that he ended his life through voluntary assisted dying or VAD.

I'm Nicole Johnston and you're listening to 7am.

Today, Go Gentle Australia founder Andrew Denton on James's decision and why some Australians still have trouble accessing VAD despite it being legal in all but one Australian territory.

It's Wednesday, April 29.

Andrew, you knew James Valentine and had spoken to him about voluntary assisted dying.

How did that conversation go and could you tell us about how open he was while facing death?

Now, James had decided that he wanted his family to share with the public how he died.

Why do you think that he wanted them to know?

And what type of impact do you think that kind of conversation and sharing will have on the community?

And as you said, his family, they've spoken about how special the time was leading up to his death because they knew it was coming.

Is that a common feeling for families in this sort of situation?

Andrew, voluntary assisted dying is now legal in every state except the Northern Territory, but it still doesn't feel like something that Australians are really comfortable talking about.

Why is that, do you think?

And what examples have you seen of that kind of taboo playing out in our healthcare systems and in aged care?

And yet, despite all those problems and the debate and the taboo, we've seen the applications for voluntary assisted dying rise by more than 40% in the last year or so.

But still, almost half of patients who start the process don't actually finish it.

Why do you think that is?

Andrew, your organisation, Go Gentle Australia, is campaigning for telehealth to be an option for patients who want to go through this process.

Why do you think that's so important?