Greens senator Jordon Steele-John will not attend parliament as misconduct investigation proceeds

Senator says he considered attending virtually but was told it would be unacceptable

By LineZotpaper AI staff

Published24 October 2026

Updated24 October 2026

Read Time2 min

Sources2 outlets

Embattled Greens senator Jordon Steele-John has confirmed he will not attend parliament next week, following historical allegations of misconduct against him that have been aired publicly. In a statement posted on social media late Friday night, Steele-John said he had explored attending Senate estimates digitally but was informed that would be unacceptable, and would instead focus on seeing an independent investigation through to its conclusion.

Steel-John said a precedent of keeping parliamentarians out of parliament after "allegations of allegations" had now been set. "Had an allegation or complaint been made against me, I would have taken these actions immediately," he said.

The 32-year-old senator's attendance had been uncertain after a public disagreement with the Greens' parliamentary leader, David Shoebridge, over whether Steele-John was on leave while an investigation was undertaken into allegations he had acted inappropriately towards women between 2017 and 2025. Shoebridge said Steele-John had requested leave and that he accepted it last week after seven party members penned a letter urging an investigation.

The three-page letter, sent on 13 October and published by Nine newspapers, said the authors had been "made aware of multiple allegations of serious misconduct" about Steele-John's "behaviour in the presence of women". It referred to an allegation of sexual harassment at a Greens campaign event in 2024 that the alleged victim had not reported out of fear, and an allegation of "serious sexual misconduct" in 2025. The letter also referenced a disparaging nickname for Steele-John, "feels on wheels", which the authors said implied he had a reputation for acting inappropriately.

"To be clear, all signatories to this letter know that an allegation does not equate to a fact and/or guilt. We simply believe that it is in the party's best interests to ensure that every allegation is investigated thoroughly," the authors wrote.

The complaints are now subject to an independent investigation commissioned by the WA Greens and have been referred to the Independent Parliamentary Standards Commission. Guardian Australia has confirmed that WA Police told Steele-John their investigation was closed in May with no charges.

In a previous statement last Sunday, Steele-John rejected the allegations, denied agreeing to take leave, and accused an unofficial faction within the WA branch of releasing the complaint letter to the media in a bid to oust him from the Senate. He said any claims of alleged behaviour should be investigated "fairly and thoroughly".

Analysis

Why This Matters

Steele-John's absence could affect the Greens' voting power in the Senate, where the party often holds the balance of power.
The handling of the complaints reflects internal tensions within the Greens over accountability, due process and factional power struggles.
The case highlights broader questions about how political parties deal with historical misconduct claims and the treatment of complainants.

Background

Jordon Steele-John has been a Greens senator for Western Australia since 2017 and is a prominent figure in the party. The party has experienced internal factional disputes, and these allegations have sharpened those divisions. An independent investigation has been commissioned by the WA Greens, and the matter has also been referred to the Independent Parliamentary Standards Commission. A police investigation into the allegations was closed in May without charges.

Key Perspectives

Jordon Steele-John: Rejects the allegations, denies agreeing to take leave from parliament, and accuses an unofficial faction within the WA branch of releasing the complaint letter to the media to oust him. He says he would have taken immediate action if a formal allegation had been made against him. Seven WA Greens party members (letter authors): State they know an allegation does not equate to fact or guilt, but believe it is in the party's interests for every allegation to be thoroughly investigated. David Shoebridge (Greens Senate leader): Says Steele-John requested leave and he accepted it, contradicting Steele-John's account that he did not agree to take leave.

What to Watch

The findings and outcome of the independent investigation commissioned by the WA Greens.
Whether Steele-John returns to parliament before the end of the year or steps down from the Senate.
Any further statements from the Independent Parliamentary Standards Commission or the alleged victims.

Sources

Checked

11 claims in this story checked against 1 source: 9 supported.

Show each claim

SupportedThe headline says Jordon Steele-John will not attend parliament next week while a misconduct investigation proceeds.Australia news | The Guardian: “Jordon Steele-John has confirmed he will not attend parliament next week as the embattled Greens senator releases a letter detailing the allegations against him.”
SupportedThe summary says Steele-John considered attending virtually but was told it would be unacceptable.Australia news | The Guardian: “In the statement, the Western Australian senator said he considered attending Senate estimates virtually but was told it would be “unacceptable”.”
SupportedSteele-John confirmed he would not attend parliament next week, after historical allegations of misconduct were made public.Australia news | The Guardian: “Jordon Steele-John has confirmed he will not attend parliament next week as the embattled Greens senator releases a letter detailing the allegations against him.”
SupportedSteele-John said a precedent had been set after “allegations of allegations”.Australia news | The Guardian: “Steele-John said a precedent of keeping parliamentarians out of parliament after “allegations of allegations” are made had now been set.”
SupportedSteele-John said, “Had an allegation or complaint been made against me, I would have taken these actions immediately.”Australia news | The Guardian: ““Had an allegation or complaint been made against me, I would have taken these actions immediately,” he said.”
SupportedThe allegations concerned alleged inappropriate conduct towards women between 2017 and 2025.Australia news | The Guardian: “an investigation was undertaken into allegations he had acted inappropriately towards women between 2017 and 2025.”
Partly supportedThe story calls David Shoebridge the Greens’ “parliamentary leader”.Australia news | The Guardian: “after a public stoush with the party’s leader, David Shoebridge”
Partly supportedThe letter said an alleged victim had not reported an alleged 2024 sexual harassment incident out of fear.Australia news | The Guardian: “The letter referred to an allegation of sexual harassment at a Greens campaign event in 2024 that the alleged victim had not reported out of fear and backlash.”
SupportedThe letter referred to an allegation of “serious sexual misconduct” in 2025.Australia news | The Guardian: “In another, the authors referred to an allegation of “serious sexual misconduct” in 2025.”
SupportedThe complaints were subject to an independent WA Greens investigation and had been referred to the Independent Parliamentary Standards Commission.Australia news | The Guardian: “The complaints are now subject to an independent investigation commissioned by the WA Greens and have been referred to the Independent Parliamentary Standards Commission.”
SupportedGuardian Australia reported that WA Police told Steele-John their investigation was closed in May with no charges.Australia news | The Guardian: “Guardian Australia has confirmed the WA police told Steele-John the investigation was closed in May with no charges.”