Greens senator Jordon Steele-John takes leave after allegations of inappropriate comments
Greens senator Jordon Steele-John has taken leave from the Greens party room after a letter from party members raised allegations of inappropriate comments to women between 2017 and 2025. Steele-John said he "utterly reject[s] this characterisation of me" and has referred the matter to the WA Greens for an independent process, while leader David Shoebridge called for a fair, independent review.
AI-assisted synthesis · Based on 5 independent reports from 6 outlets · Full text read from 2 of 5 reportsHow it's made
What happened
Key facts
- A letter from five current and former staffers and two active branch members was sent to Greens leader David Shoebridge alleging multiple inappropriate comments by Jordon Steele-John between 2017 and 2025 (per The Sydney Morning Herald, pedestrian.tv).
- David Shoebridge announced that Jordon Steele-John had taken leave from the Greens party room after inquiries about the letter (per The Sydney Morning Herald, pedestrian.tv, ssbcrack.com).
- The authors of the letter said the allegations concern Steele-John's behaviour "in the presence of women" and that some women were warned not to be alone with him (per The Sydney Morning Herald, pedestrian.tv, ssbcrack.com).
- Steele-John said he "utterly reject[s] this characterisation of me" in response to the reporting of the letter (per The Sydney Morning Herald, pedestrian.tv).
- Steele-John said he has referred the matter to the WA Greens so an independent process can be commissioned that upholds natural justice and procedural fairness (per The Sydney Morning Herald, pedestrian.tv, ssbcrack.com).
- It was not made clear whether Steele-John's leave from the Greens party room includes an absence from parliament (per The Sydney Morning Herald, pedestrian.tv, ssbcrack.com).
The brief
Greens senator Jordon Steele-John has taken leave from the Greens party room after a group of party members sent a letter to leader David Shoebridge alleging multiple instances of inappropriate comments to women spanning 2017 to 2025.
The letter, signed by five current and former staffers and two active branch members, said the allegations all concern Steele-John's behaviour "in the presence of women" and that some women had been warned not to be alone with him.
Shoebridge announced the leave after inquiries about the letter and said the matter should be resolved through a "fair and independent review" that upholds natural justice and procedural fairness. The reporting does not make clear whether the leave removes Steele-John from parliamentary duties as well as from the party room.
Steele-John publicly rejected the characterisation in the letter, saying he "utterly reject[s] this characterisation of me, which tries to assert I am someone I am not." He said he had referred the matter to the WA Greens so they could commission an independent process that he said would ensure natural justice and procedural fairness for everyone involved.
The accounts in the available coverage are consistent on the core facts: a letter raising allegations was sent to Shoebridge, Shoebridge announced Steele-John's leave from the party room, and Steele-John denied the claims while calling for a formal independent review.
Reporting notes the letter covers alleged incidents across multiple years from 2017 through 2025, and that its authors assert multiple women within the party were impacted. Different outlets vary in emphasis rather than in the basic facts.
The Sydney Morning Herald reports details of the letter's contents and quotes both Shoebridge and Steele-John on the need for an independent process; pedestrian.tv reproduces those points and adds a content warning about the subject matter.
Several other outlets published headlines confirming the leave and the allegations but no full text from those headlines is available in this pack. What is documented is a procedural next step: Steele-John has sought the WA Greens commission an independent process, and Shoebridge has publicly called for a fair review.
What is not yet documented in the reporting here is any finding from such a process, any formal complaint lodged with an external investigatory body, or specific instances described in detail that would substantiate the allegations beyond the letter's summary claim.
The immediate consequence is internal: Steele-John is on leave from the Greens party room while an independent review is sought; beyond that, the available coverage records denials from Steele-John and calls from Shoebridge for due process.
The reporting does not provide further information on timelines, the exact scope of the leave, or whether police or other external authorities have been notified.
Why it matters
- Women who worked for or volunteered with the WA Greens are named in the letter as having been warned not to be alone with Steele-John, which signals a potential ongoing workplace safety mechanism for that specific group if the allegations are substantiated.
- The Greens party room has removed Steele-John from its internal meetings while the matter is inquired into, which could affect internal party decision-making where the party room's membership is relevant to votes and strategy.
- If the WA Greens commission an independent process, that body will determine procedural outcomes that affect Steele-John's party status and could set a precedent for how the party handles similar allegations; both Shoebridge and Steele-John have publicly tied their positions to upholding natural justice and procedural fairness.
What to watch next
- Whether the WA Greens formally commissions an independent review into the allegations as Steele-John requested.
- Whether the independent review, if commissioned, issues any findings or recommendations regarding Steele-John's party-room membership or duties.
- Whether Shoebridge or the Greens clarify whether Steele-John's leave includes an absence from parliamentary sittings.
How it's being covered
Coverage analysisShow details7 source articles · 6 unique outlets · 5 distinct reportsCoverage mix: Mostly Center· 3 Center · 1 RightWhere the outlets are based: Asia 67% · US/Canada 17% · Other 16%
- Coverage is currently concentrated among Center-rated outlets (3 of 4 rated sources); comparatively few Left-rated outlets have published on the event.
One source is from a wire service (AP, Reuters, AFP or Bloomberg), whose reporting other outlets often republish.
How outlets' accounts compare
1 framing difference · 3 uncorroborated claims · 4 information gaps- The letter's claims are attributed to its authors (five current and former staffers and two active branch members) in The Sydney Morning Herald and pedestrian.tv; Steele-John's rejection of the characterisation and his referral to the WA Greens are attributed to him in both The Sydney Morning Herald and pedestrian.tv.
- "We have been made aware of multiple allegations being made against WA Federal Senator, Jordon Steele-John spanning almost a decade (2017-2025)." (text of the letter reported in The Sydney Morning Herald)
- "I utterly reject this characterisation of me, which tries to assert I am someone I am not." (quote from Steele-John in The Sydney Morning Herald and pedestrian.tv)
- "This matter needs to be resolved via a fair and independent review that ensures all parties are entitled to natural justice and procedural fairness." (quote from Shoebridge in The Sydney Morning Herald)
- No source provides detailed descriptions of the specific alleged incidents, including dates, locations, or named complainants; the reporting summarises the letter's claim of multiple allegations but does not document individual accounts.
- No report Updat3 read reports any external complaint to police or an independent statutory body, or any timeline for when an independent process might begin or conclude.
- No source mentions any prior disciplinary steps taken within the Greens or any past internal reviews involving Steele-John.
- Whether Steele-John's leave from the Greens party room also means he is absent from parliamentary duties is unclear; The Sydney Morning Herald explicitly says it was not made clear, and no source documents that detail.
How we got here
A letter from five current and former staffers and two active branch members alleging multiple inappropriate comments by Senator Jordon Steele-John between 2017 and 2025 was sent to Greens leadership in October 2026, according to published reports.
The authors of that letter stated the allegations concerned behaviour "in the presence of women" and said some women were warned not to be alone with Steele-John; the letter predates actions taken by party officials.
Original sources
1 of 7 articles · US/Canada · Show allEvery story links to the reporting it was built from. How we choose sources
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