Western Australian senator rejects claims of inappropriate behaviour spanning nearly a decade, accuses party factions of ‘nasty political games’ and insists he is not on leave amid internal probe.
Australian Greens Senator Jordon Steele-John has strongly denied allegations of inappropriate behaviour towards women, describing them as non-specific and politically motivated, while confirming he will cooperate with an independent party investigation.
The claims emerged last week after seven current and former Greens members wrote to party leader David Shoebridge expressing concern over “multiple allegations” relating to Steele-John’s “behaviour in the presence of women” between 2017 and 2025. The letter, reported by Australian media, stated that some women who had taken roles or volunteered with the party had been warned not to be alone with him.
Greens Senator Denies Misconduct Allegations:
Shoebridge announced that Steele-John had taken leave from the party room and that the matter had been referred to the Western Australian Greens for an independent investigation. The Parliamentary Workplace Support Service was initially approached but was unable to handle the case due to its circumstances and nature.
In a lengthy statement published on social media on Sunday, Steele-John, 32, rejected the characterisation of him. “I utterly reject this characterisation of me, which tries to assert I am someone I am not,” he said. He accused factions within the Greens of weaponising rumours and his personal history for “nasty political games,” particularly in the lead-up to party preselections. He insisted he had not agreed to take leave and was not on leave from the party room.
Steele-John addressed specific references in the letter. He said one matter involved a former partner who he claimed had subjected him to domestic abuse after he ended the relationship in 2025. He alleged she sent hundreds of messages and made threats, and that a subsequent complaint to police accusing him of sexual assault (specifically “stealthing”) was investigated and closed with no charges laid. He stated he had been granted a family violence restraining order against her and had been working with Western Australian police regarding the alleged abuse he experienced.
Greens Senator Calls for Fair Inquiry as Party Tensions Grow:
He also referenced older interpersonal disputes from before he entered the Senate in 2017 and a nickname he said originally mocked his disability and emotions before being reinterpreted in a more damaging way. Steele-John said neither of the women involved in the earlier matters had lodged formal complaints, and that a party document prepared years earlier was intended to protect them from media attention rather than suppress allegations.
The senator, who has cerebral palsy and uses a wheelchair, is the Greens’ disability spokesperson. He said he welcomed a fair investigation that prioritises natural justice and places survivors at the centre of any process, while arguing that the timing and lack of specific details in the letter suggested factional motives.
Some of the letter’s signatories have since gone public, calling for the inquiry’s findings to be released. The investigation by the Western Australian Greens is ongoing, and no formal conclusions have been reached. The matter has deepened internal tensions within the party following Shoebridge’s recent elevation to the leadership.