Australian Greens Sen. Jordon Steele-John is disputing whether he agreed to leave the party room, as the party considers an inquiry and approaches Senate budget hearings scheduled for next week.
Greens (WA) said Oct. 15 it would seek legal advice on how best to establish an independent inquiry into matters raised about Steele-John. The branch called for complaints to be handled fairly and independently and asked for privacy for those involved. The next day, Western Australian Greens MPs backed an investigation and said they wanted its key findings made public. The Oct. 15 statement gave no timetable for establishing the inquiry.
Greens leader David Shoebridge said he understood Steele-John had requested leave from the party room and that he accepted the request. Steele-John said he was not on leave and had not agreed to the leave reference in Shoebridge’s statement. He also said he welcomed an investigation, ABC reported. The dispute concerns leave from the Greens’ party room. At an Oct. 15 press conference, Shoebridge said, “I will not be engaging in a running commentary on the matter.”
Nine newspapers reported that seven Greens members sent Shoebridge a three-page letter raising concerns about alleged conduct toward women from 2017 to 2025. ABC and The Guardian also reported on the letter. The allegations remain unresolved. Steele-John denied inappropriate conduct and said he was prepared to address specific allegations. The Guardian described the dispute as a test of Shoebridge’s leadership and a risk to Steele-John’s standing within the party.
ABC reported that Greens (WA) said allegations it addressed in 2016 were not substantiated and that people named had not made formal complaints. That earlier account concerns a separate matter and does not resolve the current allegations.
EconoTimes previously covered Greens (WA)’s inquiry proposal and Steele-John’s denial. The Senate’s 2026-27 schedule lists supplementary budget estimates hearings from Oct. 26 to 29, with Group A sessions on Oct. 26-27 and Group B on Oct. 28-29. The sessions let senators scrutinize departments’ budgets, programs and administration. The hearings begin Monday, Oct. 26.
