Senator Steele-John skips parliament over misconduct probe

Jordon Steele-John will not attend parliament next week. The Western Australian Greens senator confirmed the decision on Saturday while apologizing for publicly releasing a confidential letter that details the misconduct claims against him. He has denied all allegations in the document.

Steele-John removed a social media post containing the three-page letter on Saturday afternoon. The document had been sent to Greens leader David Shoebridge earlier this month. It outlined allegations that the senator behaved inappropriately towards women between 2017 and 2025. Steele-John said he took the post down because he was unsure if publishing it was the right choice and wanted to reduce stress on those involved.

The 32-year-old explained that he considered joining Senate estimates virtually but was told it would be unacceptable. He stated he will focus on seeing an independent investigation through to its conclusion. He noted that many people called for him to stay away from parliament, arguing that a precedent had been set for keeping lawmakers out during such reviews.

A dispute with Shoebridge previously cast doubt on the senator's attendance for the rest of the year. Shoebridge said he accepted a request for leave last week after seven party members urged an investigation. Steele-John has denied agreeing to take leave. The complaints are now subject to an independent investigation commissioned by the WA Greens and have been referred to the Independent Parliamentary Standards Commission.

The letter, dated October 13, stated that its authors were aware of multiple allegations of serious misconduct regarding behavior in the presence of women. It described a sexual harassment allegation at a 2024 Greens campaign event that the victim did not report due to fear of backlash. Another allegation referred to serious sexual misconduct in 2025. Steele-John said this specific claim was raised by a former partner and investigated by Western Australian police, which closed the case in May with no charges laid.

The document also cited a disparaging nickname for the senator that suggested a reputation for inappropriate behavior. The authors stressed that an allegation does not equate to guilt and believed it was in the party's interests to investigate every claim thoroughly. In a statement last Sunday, Steele-John rejected the allegations and accused an unofficial faction within the WA branch of leaking the letter to remove him from the Senate.