Western Australian Greens senator Jordon Steele-John has taken leave from the party room after allegations that he made inappropriate comments toward women, the party confirmed on Thursday following reports in the Sydney Morning Herald. Greens leader David Shoebridge said the party would pursue a “fair and independent review” and that Steele-John himself requested the leave while the matter is examined.
What the party said
Shoebridge told the ABC that the Australian Greens “take concerns of this nature extremely seriously.” He stressed that procedural fairness and natural justice matter in any workplace complaint, and he said the integrity of the complaints process was “essential.” The party did not publish details of specific allegations, and Steele-John had not issued a public statement by early afternoon Sydney time.
The ABC said it contacted Steele-John for comment. His absence from the party room removes one of the Greens’ most visible disability-rights advocates from internal strategy meetings at a moment when the minor party is negotiating with Labor on social-media regulation and health policy in the Senate.
Parliamentary stakes
Steele-John, who uses a wheelchair and has been a senator since 2017, has built a profile on civil-liberties and climate issues. Any prolonged leave could complicate whip calculations on contested votes, though the government often relies on crossbenchers case by case rather than bloc agreements. Opposition parties may seek to question whether parliamentary standards processes apply to party-room conduct that falls short of formal Code of Conduct complaints.
Thursday’s developments unfolded as Health Minister Anika Wells introduced digital duty-of-care legislation and as Labor vowed to reintroduce private-health insurance changes blocked in the Senate. A distracted Greens room is the last thing government negotiators want while they hunt for paths through the crossbench on both files.
How workplace reviews usually run
Federal political parties typically appoint external investigators for serious harassment claims, mirroring corporate practice. Outcomes can range from counselling and training to suspension of party membership or referral to police if complainants choose that route. Because parliamentarians are not employees of a single HR department, timelines often stretch across sitting weeks, and media attention can complicate witness cooperation.
Women’s advocates have long pressed for faster, transparent processes in Canberra after a series of workplace reviews shook major parties. Shoebridge’s emphasis on independence signals the Greens want to avoid the perception of internal whitewashing, but he offered no deadline for findings.
What happens next
Complainants and Steele-John will await terms of reference for the review. Journalists will track whether he continues constituency work in Western Australia while absent from party-room meetings. If the review substantiates allegations, the Greens face choices about preselection and committee assignments; if not, Steele-John may seek a return before the next election cycle intensifies. Either way, the episode adds pressure on a party that pitches itself as a progressive alternative to Labor and the Coalition on gender equality.