Greens Senator's Leave Status in Doubt as NDIS Estimates Begin Without Him

The Greens senator Jordon Steele-John will not attend the NDIS estimates questioning, as he has taken leave from parliament while an independent investigation examines allegations of inappropriate behaviour towards women between 2017 and 2025. The investigation was initiated by the party leader, David Shoebridge, who announced that Steele-John would take leave while the probe examined the claims. Steele-John, however, rejected the allegations and denied that he had agreed to take leave from parliament, accusing an internal faction of the WA Greens of playing 'nasty political games' by releasing the letter to the media. He said he spoke publicly because he did not want his silence to be read as guilt. Shoebridge maintains that Steele-John agreed to take leave, but he concedes he cannot compel the senator to do so alone. Only a secret ballot in which two-thirds of the party room, meaning more than seven members, voted to expel him would force compliance. Such a step would be drastic, and even if the WA Greens' independent investigation cleared Steele-John, his standing in the party room would be badly damaged. The matter has immediate consequences for the coming week of Senate estimates, when senators question officials about government policy. Steele-John, the party's disability spokesperson, is well liked in the disability community, and the NDIS is due to undergo major changes between now and the end of the decade. He will not attend, and in a statement issued late on Friday, he said he had explored taking part digitally but had 'been informed that would also be unacceptable'. He said he would instead focus on 'the independent and timely investigation I hope is soon commenced by the Greens WA'.

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A photorealistic news photo of a parliament building with a shadowy figure standing near a door, as if preparing to leave or entering a meeting, with a faint outline of a letter visible on the floor, casting long shadows across a polished floor. The lighting is dim and cool, suggesting an uncertain or tense mood.

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A photorealistic news photo of a parliamentary chamber with a large banner displaying 'NDIS Estimates' in bold letters, and a long empty bench where Jordon Steele-John would have been sitting, with a single pair of shoes resting on the floor near the end of the bench. The room is quiet, with only the soft glow of overhead lights illuminating the empty seat, casting a solitary shadow across the polished floor.

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A photorealistic news photo of a dimly lit office with a large screen displaying the results of a secret ballot, and a group of people gathered around the screen, some looking closely at the results, while others seem to be discussing the outcome in hushed voices. The atmosphere is tense, with a single desk in the foreground, on which a letter is visible, partially unfolded, as if it was just placed there moments ago.