Steele‑John Denies Leave, Blames Greens Leader for Mishandling Complaints

WA Greens senator Jordon Steele‑John refutes claims he’s on leave and accuses leader David Shoebridge of mishandling faction‑linked complaints about his conduct towards women.

When the Senate’s coffee machine sputtered to a halt, Steele‑John was the first to point out that, contrary to circulating rumours, he was still at his desk and not on any mysterious leave.

He followed the caffeine‑free moment with a public denial that he was on leave, adding that the Greens leadership had made a "bad call" in how the party dealt with a series of complaints.

Steele‑John said the complaints centre not on personal accountability but on the usual parliamentary factionalism that turns a simple grievance into a game of musical chairs.

Inside the party, the debate has taken on the feel of a backyard cricket match, with each side claiming the other is batting out of their crease while the umpires – a.k.a. senior party officials – look on, bemused.

Steele‑John’s team reportedly feels the leader’s decision was as disappointing as a rain‑soaked Saturday at the MCG, especially when the stakes were a tidy internal review rather than a grand final.

The media, ever eager for a good story, have turned the saga into a live‑feed of "who said what and when," complete with real‑time fact‑checking that would make a fact‑checker weep.

As the Greens navigate this internal tangle, the Senate’s coffee machine remains broken, and the only thing brewing appears to be a fresh batch of intra‑party drama, likely to keep the public service coffee break conversations lively for weeks to come.