Greens senator Jordon Steele-John will take leave next week and skip budget estimates hearings. He said he was told he could not attend by video call. He has publicly released a confidential letter from seven unidentified current and former Greens staff and officials, which raises multiple allegations of serious misconduct against him from 2017 to 2025. Steele-John rejects a claim by a former partner that he removed condoms during sex. He says police decided not to lay charges and blames factional pressure within the WA Greens.
Greens senator Jordon Steele-John's position in the party remains unresolved more than a week after allegations of inappropriate behaviour towards women emerged. New Greens leader David Shoebridge announced Steele-John's leave pending an independent probe, but Steele-John denies the allegations and disputes agreeing to leave. Only a two-thirds vote of the party room could force his expulsion, a move that would be a serious step. The matter will test Shoebridge's leadership as Senate estimates approaches and the Greens decide whether Steele-John should continue his disability portfolio duties.
Greens leader David Shoebridge and Senator Jordon Steele-John disagree over whether Steele-John agreed to take leave while allegations against him are investigated. Shoebridge said the WA Greens were conducting an investigation and that Steele-John had taken leave from the party room. Steele-John denies being on leave and says the leader cannot place an MP on leave from Parliament or the party. Shoebridge says he believes leave is appropriate, and that his position does not prejudge the inquiry. The allegations concern claims of inappropriate behaviour towards women, which Steele-John disputes in part.
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Greens leader David Shoebridge says Senator Jordon Steele-John should take personal leave while allegations against him are investigated. Steele-John denies seeking or agreeing to leave. He says the allegations were made after a relationship ended and are untrue. He claims factional rivals are using resolved complaints to damage his party's preselection prospects. A Greens insider dismissed that claim, describing the dispute as damaging to anyone seeking a seat.
Greens leader David Shoebridge says he understood Jordon Steele-John agreed to take leave from parliament while misconduct allegations against him are investigated. Steele-John, a Western Australian senator, says he is not on leave and never agreed to stay away. He claims Shoebridge pressured him to take leave and accuses an internal faction of playing nasty political games. Steele-John denies any misconduct. Shoebridge called an emergency party meeting on Monday, but no decisions about Steele-John's future were made. A WA Greens inquiry and a separate referral to a parliamentary standards commission are underway.
The federal government has nominated a former attorney-general to lead the National Anti-Corruption Commission. The live blog tracks developments as the appointment unfolds, with updates grouped into key events for readers following the story closely.
Senior Labor and Coalition politicians say the Greens have questions to answer over an internal probe into Senator Jordon Steele-John. Current and former party members have asked new leader David Shoebridge to investigate allegations spanning almost a decade. Reporting revealed the Western Australia branch kept a 47-page crisis plan on managing media coverage of the claims. Senator Shoebridge denies knowing of the document or the allegations. Senator Steele-John rejects the claims and has referred the matter to the WA Greens for an independent process.
Nationals frontbencher Bridget McKenzie has said the Coalition will oppose the Australia–European Union Free Trade Agreement. The live coverage has been compiled into a summary of the day's key events and posts.
The Western Australian Greens will investigate allegations that Senator Jordon Steele-John behaved inappropriately towards women. Steele-John denies the claims and has taken leave from the Greens party room. A letter signed by seven party members, several of them current and former staffers, called for an investigation. Sources said none of the signatories said Steele-John had acted inappropriately towards them personally. New Greens leader David Shoebridge said he had not previously been aware of the allegations and that the WA Greens were commissioning a fair, independent process.
