Embattled Greens senator Jordon Steele-John confirms leave from parliament after allegations against him made public
News Source
β’Sat, 24 Oct 2026 00:52:33 GMT
π° What Happened
Greens senator Jordon Steele-John has confirmed he will not attend parliament next week. The West Australian senator had posted a confidential three-page letter about the claims against him on social media, then took it down and said sorry for any extra stress it caused.
The letter, sent to Greens leader David Shoebridge on 13 October, asked for an independent investigation into claims Steele-John acted inappropriately towards women between 2017 and 2025. He denies all of them.
He said he looked into attending Senate estimates by video but was told that would be "unacceptable" too. He said he will instead focus on the independent investigation.
π The Backstory
Steele-John, 32, is the party's disability spokesperson and is well liked in the disability community. David Shoebridge took over as Greens leader from Larissa Waters in September, so this is his first big test.
Seven party members signed the letter, which was first reported by the Nine newspapers. The claims have been referred to an investigation ordered by the WA Greens and to the Independent Parliamentary Standards Commission.
The saga has been messy. Shoebridge says Steele-John agreed to take leave, while Steele-John denies it and says a faction inside the WA Greens is playing "nasty political games".
π― Why It Matters
A federal senator is staying away from parliament while claims about his behaviour are checked. It shows how hard it is for a party to handle misconduct claims fairly, for the people making them and for the person accused.
Greens senator Jordon Steele-John has confirmed he will not attend parliament next week. The West Australian senator had posted a confidential three-page letter about the claims against him on social media, then took it down and said sorry for any extra stress it caused.
The letter, sent to Greens leader David Shoebridge on 13 October, asked for an independent investigation into claims Steele-John acted inappropriately towards women between 2017 and 2025. He denies all of them.
He said he looked into attending Senate estimates by video but was told that would be "unacceptable" too. He said he will instead focus on the independent investigation.
Steele-John, 32, is the party's disability spokesperson and is well liked in the disability community. David Shoebridge took over as Greens leader from Larissa Waters in September, so this is his first big test.
Seven party members signed the letter, which was first reported by the Nine newspapers. The claims have been referred to an investigation ordered by the WA Greens and to the Independent Parliamentary Standards Commission.
The saga has been messy. Shoebridge says Steele-John agreed to take leave, while Steele-John denies it and says a faction inside the WA Greens is playing "nasty political games".
A federal senator is staying away from parliament while claims about his behaviour are checked. It shows how hard it is for a party to handle misconduct claims fairly, for the people making them and for the person accused.