Senator misses Senate week over conduct review
Jordon Steele-John apologizes for posting a confidential letter and will focus on the independent investigation.
By Priya Marino ·
Western Australian senator Jordon Steele-John will not attend parliament next week while a misconduct review proceeds.
The Greens senator confirmed his absence on Saturday afternoon after removing a social media post that contained a three-page confidential letter. The letter, dated October 13 and originally sent to Greens leader David Shoebridge this month, outlined allegations that Steele-John behaved inappropriately toward women between 2017 and 2025.
Steele-John stated he learned the full text was circulating online and wanted to avoid appearing to hide from it. He later said he is unsure that posting it was the right decision and apologized for the stress it caused. He denied all the claims in the letter.
In a statement posted Friday night, the 32-year-old said he was told that joining Senate estimates virtually would be unacceptable. He said he will now focus on seeing the independent investigation through to its conclusion. He noted that a growing number of people urged him to stay away from parliament, citing a precedent for keeping members out after allegations are made.
The letter described an alleged sexual harassment incident at a 2024 Greens campaign event. It also referenced serious sexual misconduct in 2025, which Steele-John said was raised by a former partner and investigated by Western Australian police with no charges laid. The document also mentioned a nickname, feels on wheels, which the authors said suggested a reputation for inappropriate behavior.
Steele-John disputed whether he was on leave during the investigation. Shoebridge said the senator requested and received leave last week after seven party members urged an inquiry. The complaints are now under review by the WA Greens and the Independent Parliamentary Standards Commission.
In a statement last Sunday, Steele-John accused an unofficial faction in the WA branch of leaking the letter to remove him from the Senate. He described the situation as nasty political games and said any claims should be investigated fairly and thoroughly.
Source: The Guardian
