Greens senator Jordon Steele-John to skip parliament as misconduct probe continues
Steele-John confirmed he will not attend parliament next week, citing an ongoing independent investigation into historical misconduct allegations.
At a glance
- Greens senator Jordon Steele-John will not attend parliament next week during an ongoing independent investigation into misconduct allegations.
- Seven WA Greens members wrote to leader David Shoebridge urging an investigation into multiple allegations of serious misconduct against Steele-John.
- WA police closed their investigation in May with no charges, while the complaints remain under review by the Independent Parliamentary Standards Commission.
Greens senator Jordon Steele-John will not attend parliament next week while an independent investigation into historical misconduct allegations against him continues, he confirmed in a social media statement late Friday.
Steele-John, 32, said he had considered attending Senate estimates virtually but was told that would be "unacceptable". He said he would instead focus on seeing the investigation through to its conclusion.
"Over the past few days there has been a growing chorus calling on me not to attend parliament next week. I have explored attending digitally but have been informed that would also be unacceptable," Steele-John wrote.
The senator's attendance had been uncertain after a public dispute with Greens leader David Shoebridge over whether he was on leave while an investigation was undertaken into allegations he acted inappropriately towards women between 2017 and 2025.
The complaints are now subject to an independent investigation commissioned by the WA Greens and have been referred to the Independent Parliamentary Standards Commission.
Shoebridge claimed Steele-John had requested leave and accepted it last week after seven party members penned a letter urging an investigation. The three-page letter, sent on 13 October and first 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".
The letter referenced an allegation of sexual harassment at a Greens campaign event in 2024 that the alleged victim had not reported out of fear and backlash, and an allegation of "serious sexual misconduct" in 2025. It also contained a reference to a disparaging nickname for Steele-John – "feels on wheels" – which the authors said implied a reputation for inappropriate behaviour.
"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 letter's authors wrote.
Steele-John previously rejected the allegations, denied agreeing to take leave, and accused an internal faction within the Greens of playing "nasty political games" by releasing the letter to the media.
Guardian Australia has confirmed WA police told Steele-John the investigation was closed in May with no charges.
Source: The Guardian
Questions and answers
- Why is Jordon Steele-John not attending parliament next week?
- Steele-John confirmed he will not attend parliament next week to focus on an ongoing independent investigation into historical misconduct allegations. He said he considered attending virtually but was told that would be unacceptable.
- What are the allegations against Jordon Steele-John?
- A letter from seven WA Greens members alleged multiple incidents of serious misconduct, including sexual harassment at a 2024 campaign event and serious sexual misconduct in 2025. The letter also referenced a disparaging nickname implying inappropriate behaviour.
- Has Jordon Steele-John faced criminal charges?
- No. Guardian Australia confirmed that WA police closed their investigation in May with no charges laid. The complaints are now being examined by an independent investigation commissioned by the WA Greens and referred to the Independent Parliamentary Standards Commission.
