Greens senator Jordon Steele-John takes leave amid party turmoil
Greens senator Jordon Steele-John is taking leave from parliament after publishing a confidential letter containing allegations against him, widening the party rift.
Greens senator Jordon Steele-John has announced he will take leave next week and skip budget estimates hearings. The move follows his decision to publish a confidential letter from seven current and former Greens staff that references multiple allegations of serious misconduct against him from 2017 to 2025.
Steele-John denies the allegations, including a recent claim from a woman he briefly dated. Police investigated that claim and did not lay charges.
He says a court issued a family violence restraining order to protect him against his former partner. The letter writers say they want the party to investigate allegations thoroughly to protect female members.
Steele-John has blamed a faction within the WA Greens of trying to block his preselection since his election a decade ago, saying he is being targeted unfairly.
- 2017 to 2025
- Allegations timespan
- Seven current and former Greens staff
- Letter signatories
- Elected a decade ago
- Election tenure
- Investigated condom claim, laid no charges
- Police outcome
Why it mattersThe dispute reveals deep divisions within the Greens over how the party handles complaints and misconduct allegations, with senators now taking leave to avoid internal conflict.
AustraliaA sitting senator stepping away from parliament during budget estimates shows the scale of the crisis inside the federal Greens and could weaken the party's parliamentary voice.
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