Steele-John takes brief leave as misconduct review nears finish

Greens senator Jordon Steele-John will not attend Parliament next week while an independent review of misconduct allegations against him enters its final phase. The 32-year-old Western Australian senator confirmed the absence on Saturday, marking a brief pause in his duties as the probe moves toward completion.

Steele-John apologized for publicly posting a three-page confidential letter on social media earlier this month. The document, which had been sent to Greens leader David Shoebridge, outlined claims that he behaved inappropriately toward women between 2017 and 2025. The senator removed the post on Saturday afternoon, stating he learned the full text was circulating online and wanted to avoid appearing to hide from the scrutiny. He said, "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."

The senator denied all claims in the letter, which described an allegation of sexual harassment at a Greens campaign event in 2024. The authors noted the alleged victim did not report the incident due to fear of backlash. A second allegation referenced serious sexual misconduct in 2025, which Steele-John said was raised by a former partner and investigated by Western Australian police. Police confirmed to the senator in May that the investigation was closed with no charges laid. The letter also cited a disparaging nickname, "feels on wheels," as evidence of a reputation for inappropriate behavior, though the authors stressed that an allegation does not equate to guilt.

The absence follows a public dispute with Shoebridge regarding Steele-John's leave status. Shoebridge stated last week that he accepted leave after seven party members wrote to him urging an investigation, a claim Steele-John has denied. The complaints are currently under independent investigation commissioned by the WA Greens and have been referred to the Independent Parliamentary Standards Commission.

In a statement posted Friday night, Steele-John explained that he was advised virtual attendance at Senate estimates would be unacceptable. He cited a growing number of people calling for his temporary withdrawal from Parliament. He argued that a precedent exists for removing parliamentarians from the chamber during such reviews, noting, "Had an allegation or complaint been made against me, I would have taken these actions immediately."

The senator accused an unofficial faction within the WA branch of leaking the letter to the media in an effort to remove him from the Senate. He described the internal dynamics as playing "nasty political games" but maintained that any claims about his behavior should be investigated fairly and thoroughly. The letter, dated October 13, was first published by the Nine newspapers before Steele-John shared it online.

Steele-John plans to focus on seeing the independent investigation through to its conclusion during his absence. The Senate sittings for the coming week will proceed without him, as the party awaits the final findings of the probe.