JORDON STEELE-JOHN TAKES LEAVE FROM AUSTRALIAN PARLIAMENT

Greens senator Jordon Steele-John says he will not attend Australia’s parliament next week while the WA Greens pursues an independent investigation into allegations of inappropriate behaviour towards women. A letter sent to Greens leader David Shoebridge describes alleged conduct between 2017 and 2025. Steele-John denies wrongdoing. He said calls for him to miss next week’s Senate estimates hearings had grown and that he had been told attending digitally would also be “unacceptable”. The Independent Parliamentary Standards Commission has also received a referral concerning the complaints.

Seven Greens members sent Shoebridge a letter urging an investigation. Steele-John posted the three-page letter, marked “confidential”, on social media after hearing that it had circulated online. He removed the post on Saturday and apologised for publishing it. He said he “didn’t want to be seen as hiding from it”. He added: “I am really sorry for any additional stress it caused.”

Earlier in the week, Steele-John disputed Shoebridge’s statement that he was already taking leave and accused him of trying to remove him from the party room. Shoebridge’s spokesperson said he understood that they had agreed Steele-John would take leave. The spokesperson said Shoebridge still considered leave appropriate and that his view did not prejudge the inquiry. Steele-John said he would have withdrawn immediately had someone made an allegation or complaint against him. He claimed party factions were using unsubstantiated claims ahead of a preselection contest and said the case had set a precedent under which an MP could be “kept out of parliament by allegations of allegations”.