Australian Greens senator denies claims of misconduct towards women
Australian Greens senator Jordon Steele-John has denied allegations of misconduct towards women and accused his party of playing “nasty political games”. The claims have prompted an internal party investigation and a referral to the Independent Parliamentary Standards Commission, raising questions about how the party handles allegations against its elected representatives.
Seven current and former members wrote to Greens leader David Shoebridge alleging multiple instances of misconduct between 2017 and 2025. Steele-John says he is not on leave; regarding one sexual assault allegation, he says police closed their investigation without laying charges. He also disputes the handling and timing of the claims, while acknowledging they could damage public trust and pledging greater transparency and accountability.
- Steele-John denies allegations of misconduct towards women.
- The claims cover alleged incidents from 2017 to 2025.
- An internal party probe is under way, and the matter was referred to a standards commission.
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The Australian Greens is a political party whose elected members sit in Australia’s federal parliament. Jordon Steele-John is one of its senators, while David Shoebridge leads the party’s parliamentary team.
The allegations concern Steele-John’s conduct towards women over several years, and were made by current and former party members. An internal investigation is a party process; the Independent Parliamentary Standards Commission is a separate body that deals with standards in parliament.
The case raises broader questions about how political parties investigate claims involving their elected representatives and maintain public confidence. Allegations are not findings, and Steele-John denies them.
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The case for
The allegations are serious and warrant a careful, independent investigation, even though Steele-John denies misconduct and police reportedly brought no charges in one case. A transparent process can give those who raised concerns a fair hearing, establish what happened and help the party show that it holds elected representatives to clear standards.
The case against
Steele-John is entitled to challenge allegations he says are unfounded and to question whether the process is fair, consistent and free from political manoeuvring. An internal inquiry and referral should not be treated as proof of wrongdoing; protecting due process and avoiding damage to reputations before findings are made also matter to public trust.