Senator Jordon Steele-John to miss four Senate days as misconduct review concludes

Western Australian Senator Jordon Steele-John will skip four days of Senate work next week. He confirmed the absence while apologizing for sharing a confidential letter online that detailed misconduct claims against him. The senator, 32, denied all allegations in that document.

The timeline began in early October when seven Greens party members wrote to leader David Shoebridge urging an investigation. Shoebridge later said he granted Steele-John leave last week. Steele-John disputed that he had agreed to take leave, citing a public dispute over his status. On October 13, a letter was sent to Shoebridge outlining the specific claims.

The letter, first published by Nine newspapers, cited multiple allegations of serious misconduct regarding the senator's behavior toward women between 2017 and 2025. One claim involved sexual harassment at a 2024 campaign event. Another referenced serious sexual misconduct in 2025. Steele-John stated that the latter was investigated by Western Australian police, who closed the case in May with no charges laid.

The letter also mentioned a nickname, "feels on wheels," which the authors said indicated a reputation for inappropriate behavior. The authors stressed that an allegation does not equate to guilt. They believed it was in the party's interest to investigate every claim thoroughly. The letter was sent to Shoebridge but was later released publicly.

Steele-John posted the three-page letter on social media on Saturday afternoon. He said he had heard the full document was circulating online and did not want to appear as if he were hiding from it. He later removed the post. "I'm now not sure that was the right call and I've taken it down," he said. "I am really sorry for any additional stress it caused."

In a statement posted late Friday night and since deleted, Steele-John explained that he considered joining Senate estimates virtually but was told it would be unacceptable. He said he would concentrate on seeing the independent investigation through to its conclusion. He noted a growing chorus calling for him to stay away from parliament. He argued a precedent had been set for keeping parliamentarians out after allegations were made.

The complaints are currently the subject of an independent investigation commissioned by the WA Greens. They have also been referred to the Independent Parliamentary Standards Commission. Steele-John rejected the allegations in a statement on Sunday. He accused an unofficial faction within the WA branch of leaking the letter to remove him from the Senate. He described the move as playing nasty political games. He said any claims should be investigated fairly and thoroughly.