Steele-John to skip four Senate days as misconduct review ends

Greens senator Jordon Steele-John will not attend parliament next week, a decision he confirmed after publicly releasing and then removing a confidential letter containing allegations against him. The 32-year-old Western Australian senator apologized for the timing of the release, acknowledging he had seen the document circulating online and did not want to appear to be hiding from it. He stated he was sorry for any additional stress the incident caused.

The three-page letter, dated October 13, was originally sent to Greens leader David Shoebridge earlier this month. It outlined multiple allegations of serious misconduct regarding Steele-John's behavior around women between 2017 and 2025. The document described a specific incident of sexual harassment at a Greens campaign event in 2024, which the alleged victim did not report due to fear of backlash. It also referenced a claim of serious sexual misconduct in 2025, which Steele-John later identified as being raised by a former partner.

Steele-John denied all claims in a statement posted late Friday night. He said he had considered joining Senate estimates virtually but was told that arrangement would be unacceptable. He pointed to a growing chorus calling for his absence and argued that a precedent had been set for keeping parliamentarians out after allegations were made. He noted that if a formal complaint had been filed directly, he would have taken similar actions immediately.

The complaints are currently under independent investigation commissioned by the WA Greens and have been referred to the Independent Parliamentary Standards Commission. Police in Western Australia told the senator in May that their investigation into the 2025 allegation was closed with no charges laid. The letter also cited a disparaging nickname, 'feels on wheels,' which its authors said suggested a reputation for inappropriate behavior. They emphasized that an allegation does not equate to fact or guilt.

Steele-John's attendance for the rest of the year had been uncertain following a dispute with Shoebridge over his leave status. Shoebridge stated that Steele-John asked for leave last week and that he accepted it after seven party members wrote urging an investigation. Steele-John denied agreeing to take leave. In a lengthy statement last Sunday, he rejected the allegations and accused an unofficial faction within the WA branch of leaking the letter to remove him from the Senate, describing the move as playing nasty political games.

He removed the social media post containing the letter on Saturday afternoon. The senator said he wanted to concentrate on seeing the independent investigation through to its conclusion. The letter was first published by the Nine newspapers. Steele-John said any claims about his behavior should be investigated fairly and thoroughly.

The independent review is nearing its conclusion. The senator will skip four days of Senate sittings next week. He remains a member of the WA Greens. The letter authors stressed it was in the party's interests for every allegation to be investigated thoroughly.