Steele-John to miss Senate week as independent misconduct probe proceeds

Jordon Steele-John will not attend parliament next week, a decision he confirmed on Saturday after removing a social media post containing a three-page letter of allegations against him. The Western Australian Greens senator said he took the post down because he learned the full document was circulating online and did not want to appear as though he was hiding from it. "I'm now not sure that was the right call and I've taken it down. I am really sorry for any additional stress it caused," Steele-John said.

The letter, dated October 13, was originally sent to Greens leader David Shoebridge earlier this month. It outlines multiple allegations of serious misconduct regarding Steele-John's behavior in the presence of women between 2017 and 2025. The document specifically cites a claim of sexual harassment at a Greens campaign event in 2024, which the alleged victim reportedly did not report due to fear of backlash. It also references an allegation of serious sexual misconduct in 2025, which Steele-John says was raised by a former partner and investigated by Western Australian police with a finding of no charges.

In a statement posted late Friday night and later deleted, the 32-year-old explained that he considered joining Senate estimates virtually but was told that arrangement was unacceptable. He noted a growing chorus of voices calling for him to stay away from parliament, arguing that a precedent had been set for keeping parliamentarians out after allegations were made. "Had an allegation or complaint been made against me, I would have taken these actions immediately," he stated. He added that he would concentrate on seeing the independent investigation through to its conclusion.

The attendance question followed a public dispute with Shoebridge regarding whether Steele-John was on leave. Shoebridge stated that Steele-John asked for leave and that he accepted it last week after seven party members wrote to him urging an investigation. Steele-John has denied agreeing to take leave. The complaints are now the subject of an independent investigation commissioned by the WA Greens and have been referred to the Independent Parliamentary Standards Commission.

In a lengthy statement on Sunday, Steele-John rejected the allegations and accused an unofficial faction within the WA branch of leaking the letter to the media to remove him from the Senate. He described the move as playing nasty political games and insisted that any claims about his behavior should be investigated fairly and thoroughly. The authors of the letter stressed that an allegation does not equate to fact or guilt and believed it was in the party's interests for every allegation to be investigated thoroughly.

The senator will skip the upcoming sitting week while the independent review continues. The letter also cited a disparaging nickname for the senator, "feels on wheels," which the authors said suggested a reputation for inappropriate behavior. The Independent Parliamentary Standards Commission will now oversee the process alongside the WA Greens investigation.