Greens Clash Over Steele-John Leave Amid Misconduct Claims
The Facts
- A spokesperson for Greens leader David Shoebridge said Monday it was Shoebridge's understanding that leave had been agreed with Sen. Jordon Steele-John, a day after the Western Australian senator said publicly that he was not on leave and would keep working.
- A letter sent to Shoebridge last week by seven current and former Greens members and officials described multiple allegations about Steele-John's conduct in the presence of women between 2017 and 2025, and said some women were warned not to be alone with him.
- Steele-John has denied any wrongdoing and said an "unofficial faction" had leaked a complaints letter to influence preselections. Allegations against him are before an independent WA Greens investigation and have been referred to the Independent Parliamentary Standards Commission.
Sources Split
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The Spin
Left narrative
Multiple women being quietly warned to steer clear of a sitting senator is the kind of misconduct no party can excuse. Stepping back from the party room while an independent investigation runs is the bare minimum for anyone claiming to put survivors first. Branding the whole thing factional payback dodges the real question of why those warnings existed at all.
Right narrative
Vague, decade-spanning rumors with no named complainant and no specific incident amount to a political smear, and a police investigation closed with no charges says plenty. Pushing a senator to take leave before a single fact is tested punishes the accused and rewards whoever has leaked. Timing that lands the day after a preselection timeline was locked in reeks of factional point-scoring.
