Greens Senator misses NDIS questions while party debates forced leave

Federal Greens senator Jordon Steele-John will not attend the upcoming week of Senate estimates. The absence removes the party's disability spokesperson from direct questioning of government officials regarding the National Disability Insurance Scheme, or NDIS. Major changes to the NDIS are scheduled to take place before the end of the decade.

Steele-John issued a statement late Friday explaining his decision. He said he explored joining the session digitally but was told that option was unacceptable. He stated he would instead focus his energy on an independent investigation by the Western Australian Greens.

The dispute began more than a week ago when The Nine newspapers reported a three-page letter sent to Greens leader David Shoebridge. The letter requested an independent probe into secondhand allegations that Steele-John acted inappropriately toward women between 2017 and 2025. Shoebridge initially announced that the 32-year-old senator would take leave during the investigation.

Steele-John rejected the allegations and denied agreeing to step back from his parliamentary duties. He accused a faction of the Western Australian Greens of playing nasty political games by sharing the letter with the media. He said he spoke publicly to prevent his silence from being interpreted as guilt.

Shoebridge maintains that an agreement was reached for the senator to take leave. However, he cannot force Steele-John to comply without a vote. A secret ballot in the party room requires more than seven members, or two-thirds of the group, to vote for expulsion to mandate the leave. This threshold makes the process difficult to achieve.

The situation places immediate pressure on the party's leadership and its handling of misconduct claims. No direct complainant has come forward publicly, but Steele-John is well liked in the disability community. The internal deadlock forces a choice between maintaining consensus and enforcing a strict standard of conduct for federal representatives.

The decision on how to proceed will determine the tone of Shoebridge's leadership. It requires backing from the party room to pursue a drastic step like expulsion. The outcome will also affect the party's standing with voters who expect accountability from progressive representatives.