Steele-John says he is not on leave and disputes Shoebridge account

Greens senator Jordon Steele-John says he is not on leave and has disputed leader David Shoebridge's account of how the leave was announced.

In a six-page statement released on October 18, 2026, Steele-John responded to complaints about his conduct The Guardian. He said Shoebridge pressured him on Thursday to say he would take leave as reporting by Nine newspapers was breaking. He said he did not agree to the inclusion of a line about being on leave in Shoebridge's statement.

Nine newspapers had reported in the previous week that seven former and current Greens members had called for an investigation into allegations that Steele-John acted inappropriately towards women between 2017 and 2025.

Steele-John claimed an unofficial faction within the Western Australian Greens branch released the complaint letter to the media in a bid to oust him from the Senate. He said the letter arrived at the leader's office the day after agreement on the timeline for the next preselection, the process for choosing candidates.

According to Steele-John, the letter referred to three matters but did not set out allegations in detail. He said one matter related to alleged sexual harassment at a Greens campaign party in 2024, without specific allegations outlined.

He also addressed the nickname 'feels on wheels', saying it originated because he was emotional during speeches early in his career regarding the disability royal commission, the national inquiry into the treatment of people with disability.

Steele-John said a matter relating to serious sexual misconduct was investigated by Western Australian police and closed with a finding of no charges. He said he wanted any alleged behaviour investigated fairly and thoroughly.

Steele-John is the Greens' disability spokesman.

The statement conflicts with earlier accounts from the leadership. The Greens had said Steele-John had taken leave from the party room, the meeting of the party's federal MPs, following reports of inappropriate comments towards women ABC News. Shoebridge had ordered an independent investigation and confirmed Steele-John would take a leave of absence from parliament during the investigation. Shoebridge said the decision was made after "a discussion", declining to say whether he had directed Steele-John to take leave The Sydney Morning Herald.