Australian Greens senator denies claims of misconduct towards women

19 October 2026, 02: 32 BST. Updated 2 minutes ago.

Key points

• Steele-John, who has cerebral palsy and uses a wheelchair, was first elected to the senate in Western Australia in November 2017.
• According to Shoebridge's office, the allegations had been referred to the Independent Parliamentary Standards Commission.
• An Australian Greens senator has denied allegations of inappropriate behaviour towards women and accused his party of "nasty political games", days after the claims emerged.
• A spokesperson for Shoebridge remarked the leader still believed "leave is appropriate under the circumstances" and taking leave would not influence the internal party investigation.
• In an online post on Sunday, the senator denied the claims and remarked he was not on leave.

Notably, an Australian Greens senator has denied allegations of inappropriate behaviour towards women and accused his party of "nasty political games", days after the claims emerged.

Last Thursday, Greens leader David Shoebridge remarked Senator Jordon Steele-John, 32, had taken leave from the party room after a letter from seven current and former members stated he had been accused of "multiple allegations" of misconduct between 2017 and 2025.

In an online post on Sunday, the senator denied the claims and remarked he was not on leave. On a sexual assault claim, he remarked police investigating the matter had closed the case and no charges were laid. An internal party probe has been introduced into the allegations.

In his letter responding to the claims, Steele-John remarked his nickname – "Feels on wheels" – initially referred to him being emotional when advocating for disability rights but had since taken on a "more sinister meaning" concerning his alleged mistreatment of women.

He accused Shoebridge of mishandling the matter and questioned the timing of the letter, saying "it is no coincidence" that the allegations were sent to the leader "the day after we agreed on the timeline for the next preselection" ahead of the next federal election.

Days after the letter with the claims was sent to Shoebridge, local media documented that the party had created a 47-page dossier years earlier that listed a number of allegations against Steele-John and how to manage media coverage if they emerged.

Steele-John remarked the dossier was produced so that the media would not "bombard" the two women at the centre of those claims and that neither woman had created a complaint.

He acknowledged the allegations against him would have "damaged" the public's trust in him and remarked he was "committed to rebuilding that by acting with as much transparency and accountability as I can".

For context, a spokesperson for Shoebridge remarked the leader still believed "leave is appropriate under the circumstances" and taking leave would not influence the internal party investigation.

Taken together, the developments around australian Greens senator denies claims of misconduct towards women point to a situation that is still moving, and the coming days should bring more clarity.