Greens Senator Misses Four Senate Days While Misconduct Probe Ends

Western Australian Greens senator Jordon Steele-John will miss four Senate sittings next week as an independent misconduct review nears its conclusion. The 32-year-old politician confirmed the absence after a dispute with party leaders regarding his status during the ongoing investigation.

Steele-John removed a social media post on Saturday afternoon that contained a three-page confidential letter sent to Greens leader David Shoebridge earlier this month. The letter detailed allegations of inappropriate behavior toward women between 2017 and 2025. The senator stated he took the post down because he heard the full document was circulating online and did not want to appear as if he was hiding from it.

"I am really sorry for any additional stress it caused," Steele-John said regarding the public release. He denied all claims of misconduct and described a "growing chorus" of party members calling for his absence from parliament. He argued that a precedent existed for keeping members away after allegations were raised, noting he would have taken similar steps if a complaint had been made against him directly.

The letter, dated October 13, cited multiple instances of serious misconduct. It referenced an allegation of sexual harassment at a Greens campaign event in 2024. The alleged victim did not report the incident for fear of backlash, according to the document. Another allegation involved serious sexual misconduct in 2025, which Steele-John said was raised by a former partner. Western Australian police closed that investigation in May with no charges laid.

The authors of the letter also noted a disparaging nickname, "feels on wheels," which they said suggested a reputation for inappropriate behavior. They emphasized that an allegation does not equate to guilt and believed thorough investigation served the party's interests. The complaints are now subject to an independent probe commissioned by the WA Greens and referred to the Independent Parliamentary Standards Commission.

Steele-John's attendance has been in doubt since a public dispute with Shoebridge over whether the senator was on leave. Shoebridge stated he accepted a leave request last week after seven party members wrote urging an investigation. Steele-John has denied agreeing to take leave. The senator posted a statement late Friday night, which has since been deleted, explaining that he considered joining Senate estimates virtually but was told that arrangement would be unacceptable.

In a lengthy statement on Sunday, Steele-John rejected the allegations and accused an "unofficial faction" within the WA branch of leaking the letter. He described the leak as "nasty political games" intended to remove him from the Senate and stated that any claims about his behavior should be investigated fairly and thoroughly.