Steele-John absent from Senate estimates as NDIS questions proceed

Jordon Steele-John will not attend the Senate estimates session scheduled for the coming week. The Greens senator and disability spokesperson issued a statement on Friday evening explaining that he had explored joining the inquiry digitally but was told the format would be unacceptable. He said he would instead turn his attention to an independent investigation he hopes the Western Australian Greens will commence soon.

Steele-John's absence leaves the party's primary voice on disability policy missing from a critical session. The National Disability Insurance Scheme faces major structural changes before the end of the decade, making the upcoming questions to government officials a priority for advocates and legislators alike. The senator is well liked within the disability community, and his skip of the session marks the first major public consequence of the internal dispute that has consumed the party for the past week.

The conflict began earlier this month when The Nine newspapers reported that a three-page letter had been sent to Greens leader David Shoebridge. The document called for an independent probe into allegations that Steele-John acted inappropriately towards women between 2017 and 2025. Shoebridge initially announced that the 32-year-old senator would take leave while the claims were examined, a step that seemed straightforward for a party that prides itself on consensus and fairness.

The situation complicated rapidly. Steele-John rejected the secondhand allegations and stated he had not agreed to take leave from parliament. He accused an internal faction of the Western Australian Greens of playing nasty political games by releasing the letter to media. He said he spoke publicly because he did not want his silence to be read as guilt. Shoebridge maintains that an agreement was reached, but he concedes he cannot compel the senator to do so alone.

Forcing the issue requires a secret ballot in which two-thirds of the party room vote to expel the member. This threshold means more than seven members must support the move. Such a step would be drastic. Even if the Western Australian independent investigation cleared Steele-John, his standing in the party room would be badly damaged by the process. Shoebridge would need the backing of his caucus to pursue expulsion, a move that could lead to a bitter fight with the senator.

The decision on forcing leave will reflect on Shoebridge's leadership as much as on party process. The Greens rely on consensus decision-making, and this dispute tests how the new leader handles delicate problems. Whether adversaries raised the allegations for advantage in the state's pre-selection is part of the picture, yet rumours have followed the senator throughout his time in office. Standing aside while the claims are investigated would be the simpler course, but the party has not yet reached that decision.

The next step is the Senate estimates session, where senators question officials about government policy. Steele-John's absence is confirmed, and the party room continues to weigh its options regarding the 7-vote threshold. The independent investigation is expected to begin soon, but no specific timeline has been set by the Western Australian Greens.