Senate Absence: Steele-John to miss four days as probe concludes

Greens senator Jordon Steele-John will not attend parliament next week. He confirmed the absence on Saturday afternoon while an independent investigation into misconduct allegations against him moves toward its final conclusion.

The 32-year-old removed a social media post that contained a confidential letter detailing the claims. The letter, dated October 13, was originally sent to Greens leader David Shoebridge earlier this month. It outlined allegations of inappropriate behavior toward women between 2017 and 2025. Steele-John said he posted the document after learning it was circulating online. He did not want to appear as if he was hiding from it. He has since apologized for the public release.

"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," Steele-John said.

In a statement posted late Friday night, Steele-John explained he considered joining Senate estimates virtually. He said he was told that arrangement was also unacceptable. He pointed to a growing chorus of voices calling on him to stay away. He argued that a precedent had been set for keeping parliamentarians out after allegations are made. He noted that had a complaint been filed directly against him, he would have taken the same steps immediately.

The letter cited specific incidents, including an allegation of sexual harassment at a 2024 Greens campaign event. It also referenced serious sexual misconduct in 2025. Steele-John stated that the 2025 claim was raised by a former partner. Western Australian police investigated that claim and closed the case in May with no charges laid. The letter also mentioned a disparaging nickname, "feels on wheels," which the authors said suggested a reputation for inappropriate behavior.

The complaints are currently the subject of an independent investigation commissioned by the WA Greens. They have also been referred to the Independent Parliamentary Standards Commission. Steele-John denied all the claims in the letter. He accused an unofficial faction within the WA branch of leaking the document to media outlets to remove him from the Senate. He described the move as nasty political games and said any claims should be investigated fairly and thoroughly.

His attendance for the rest of the year had been in doubt following a dispute with Shoebridge. Shoebridge stated that Steele-John asked for leave and that he accepted it last week. This followed seven party members writing to him urging an investigation. Steele-John has denied agreeing to take leave. He will now concentrate on seeing the investigation through to its conclusion.