Steele-John to miss four days: WA Greens senator absent during final misconduct phase

Jordon Steele-John will not attend parliament next week as the independent review of misconduct allegations against him enters its final phase. The Western Australian Greens senator confirmed the absence on Saturday after removing a social media post that contained a confidential three-page letter detailing the claims.

Steele-John is scheduled to miss four days of Senate sittings. He stated that he considered joining Senate estimates virtually but was advised that remote participation would also be unacceptable. He plans to focus on seeing the independent investigation through to its conclusion during his absence.

The three-page letter, dated October 13, was sent to Greens leader David Shoebridge earlier this month. It called for an investigation into allegations that the senator behaved inappropriately toward women between 2017 and 2025. The document described a specific allegation of sexual harassment at a Greens campaign event in 2024. It also referenced a claim of serious sexual misconduct in 2025 and cited a disparaging nickname, "feels on wheels," as evidence of a reputation for inappropriate behavior.

Steele-John has denied all claims. He noted that the 2025 allegation was raised by a former partner and investigated by Western Australian police. Police told him in May that the investigation was closed with no charges laid. In a statement posted late Friday night, the 32-year-old acknowledged a growing chorus of voices calling for his absence from parliament.

The senator argued that a precedent had been set for keeping parliamentarians out after allegations were made. He stated that had a formal complaint been filed against him, he would have taken the same actions immediately. He described his decision as a response to the circumstances rather than a concession of guilt.

The complaints are now the subject of an independent investigation commissioned by the WA Greens. They have also been referred to the Independent Parliamentary Standards Commission. A public dispute with Shoebridge over whether the senator was on leave had previously cast doubt on his attendance for the remainder of the year.

Shoebridge said he accepted Steele-John's request for leave last week after seven party members wrote to him urging an investigation. Steele-John has denied agreeing to take leave. The senator accused an unofficial faction within the WA branch of leaking the letter to the media in an attempt to remove him from the Senate.