Greens senator takes leave after letter raises allegations of inappropriate comments to women

Greens’ disability spokesman Jordon Steele-John has taken leave from the Greens party room as new party leader David Shoebridge has ordered an independent investigation into allegations from party members that the WA senator made multiple inappropriate comments to women.

In a letter sent to Shoebridge on Tuesday night and seen by this masthead, seven current Greens members write that the group are aware of “multiple allegations” against Steele-John between 2017 and 2025.

“We have been made aware of multiple allegations … being made against WA Federal Senator, Jordon Steele-John spanning almost a decade (2017-2025). These allegations all concern his behaviour in the presence of women. We are aware of multiple women who have taken up roles or volunteered in the party, who because of these allegations, have been warned not to … be alone with him,” the authors state.

“These warnings have come from inside and outside the party, demonstrating that knowledge of his alleged reputation extends beyond party membership and out into the community.”

The signatories include five current and former staffers and two active branch members. This masthead is aware of the identity of the authors of the letter sent to Greens party leaders this week but has chosen not to name them to protect their privacy, and in some cases to protect their current employment.

In response to inquiries from this masthead about the range of allegations in the letter, Shoebridge announced that Steele-John was taking leave from the Greens party room. It was not clear if that included taking leave from parliament.

Steele-John said that “I utterly reject this characterisation of me, which tries to assert I am someone I am not. I have referred this matter to the WA Greens, so that a fair, independent process can be commissioned that upholds the principles of natural justice and ensures procedural fairness for everyone involved.

“These claims are made without specifics, any allegation of this nature is extremely serious and must be treated accordingly. If someone has made an allegation, I am prepared to address it. The letter says that victims of sexual and family violence should be at the centre of any investigation. I agree. In the one complaint of which I have been made aware, I am the person who experienced family violence.”

Steele-John stated that he believed one of the allegations related to a former partner.

“I believe an allegation arises from a former relationship in which I was the victim of extensive, prolonged and deeply distressing domestic abuse … I have been working with WA Police to address the abuse I have experienced.”

Shoebridge, said the Greens took allegations of this nature extremely seriously.

“This matter needs to be resolved via a fair and independent review that ensures all parties are entitled to natural justice and procedural fairness,” he said.

“The Australian Greens take complaints seriously, and as leader I want to make it clear that the integrity of the complaints process is essential. In the circumstances Senator Steele-John has requested leave from the Party Room and I have accepted it.”

A spokesman for Shoebridge said the investigation into Steele-John would be funded by the Western Australian branch of the Greens but it would be conducted by an independent third party.

Steele-John is one of the best-known Greens senators in parliament and, as spokesman for disability and mental health, he has led the party’s campaign against Labor’s cuts to the NDIS.

He entered parliament in November 2017 aged 23, the youngest senator ever at the time, through a casual vacancy created when Scott Ludlam resigned from the Senate after discovering he was ineligible as a dual citizen.

In the letter seen by this masthead, the authors state “many of us joined the Greens because of their strong public position to believe women. This should be the premise upon which an investigation is commenced.

“Any allegation … levelled against anyone in the party must be investigated thoroughly and with the victim at the centre. It must also be investigated from our public position of believing the courageous women who make these reports.”

The authors ask Shoebridge to take three steps: commission an independent investigation into every allegation against Steele-John; require the party to update protocols so the threshold for acting on allegations does not rely on police charges; and notify all signatories to the letter of the outcome of the investigation.

The letter notes that “all signatories to this letter know that an allegation does not equate to a fact and/or guilt. We simply believe that it is in the Party’s best interests to ensure that every allegation is investigated thoroughly, in alignment with community and member expectations.”

The authors go on to claim that “for every person brave enough to sign this letter, there are multiple others who were too fearful of backlash by Senator Steele-John and others in the party to sign on. This is power in action, silencing those who want to be heard, but who feel too unsafe to speak.”

And it concludes by reminding Shoebridge that he had recently posted to his Instagram account that “men need to speak up. In the clubrooms, at the pub, on our streets. Demand better from our mates, our team, our colleagues.”

The authors then state: “This is us demanding better from our party.”

The allegations about Steele-John’s conduct present a challenge to Shoebridge, who has promised to be more consultative with Greens party members and has outlined plans for his party to take the fight to Labor, rather than simply support government legislation.

At a press conference in Canberra on Thursday afternoon, Shoebridge said he was not previously aware of the allegations reported by this masthead against Steele-John.

“No, I received the correspondence in my capacity as leader of the Australian Greens, and I’ve dealt with it with … urgency,” he said.

Shoebridge said would be “inappropriate” for him to determine if the findings of the inquiry into the allegations would be made public.

“This will be an independent inquiry, and it would be totally inappropriate for me to determine how that inquiry is undertaken,” Shoebridge said. “But I stress, the key parameters for this inquiry are fair, and independent, and timely.”

Shoebridge said that he had confidence the inquiry would be independent, which was “necessary for all parties to be involved”.

“It is not my role, and it would be inappropriate for me, as the leader of the Australian Greens in the federal parliament, to be imposing controls on that.”

Cut through the noise of federal politics with news, views and expert analysis. Subscribers can sign up to our weekly Inside Politics newsletter.