Australian senator Jordon Steele-John denies taking leave and says rumours about him were weaponised.

What it means

WA Greens senator Jordon Steele-John has hit back at internal complaints over his conduct, saying in a roughly 2,400-word social-media statement that rumours about him were weaponised for political reasons and denying that he is on leave. The complaints — reportedly about inappropriate comments or conduct towards women — came in a letter from seven Greens members and officials to new party leader David Shoebridge, and Steele-John accuses internal factions of using them for preselection and party-room games. Some reports note he stepped back from the party room last Thursday, a point he contests.

Accuracy & sourcesGrounded

The story is aggregated/secondary with no primary cited, but the central claim is a well-corroborated report of Steele-John's own statement, with multiple outlets (SMH, Guardian Australia, ABC) converging on the same details. The underlying allegations of misconduct remain unverified, and the 'on leave' point is disputed rather than established.

How new

Genuinely new: published on 18 October 2026, reporting on a statement posted the previous night.

Go deeper

• Guardian Australia — first to publish