Greens senator denies misconduct allegations amid dispute over leave

Greens senator for Western Australia Jordon Steele-John has denied all allegations of misconduct towards women made against him.

The allegations span nearly a decade. They include claims he made inappropriate comments to a number of women between 2017 and 2025, according to reporting by The Guardian. The claims denied by Steele-John were raised in a letter to the Greens, the ABC reported.

On 18 October 2026, Steele-John said he was not on leave. He said he had not agreed to take leave, the Australian Financial Review reported.

That account differs from that of Greens leader David Shoebridge. Shoebridge said it was his understanding that Steele-John had agreed to take leave from parliament while the allegations were addressed. Steele-John went on leave after the allegations of inappropriate comments were reported, according to the ABC.

Steele-John blamed 'nasty political games' for the timing of the allegations. He said the final complaint matter against him related to alleged "serious sexual misconduct".

The WA Greens branch said it was taking the allegations "very seriously" and thanked those who came forward. Members of the party were allegedly warned "not to be alone" with Steele-John, The Age reported.

Shoebridge was three weeks into his role as Greens leader when the handling of the allegations was reported. He denied knowledge of a 'secret dossier' on how to handle the allegations, described as a 47-page crisis management document.

There is an investigation into Steele-John's conduct.