Time for the truth about Jordon Steele-John, rather than conspiracy theories

October 22, 2026 — 2:54pm

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David Shoebridge has suffered through a baptism of fire in the three weeks since he became Greens leader, first for opposing Australian military aide to Ukraine and then for the conduct of one of his senators, Jordon Steele-John.

The fact that seven current and former West Australian Greens staffers and party members felt it necessary to write to the new leader and ask for an independent investigation into Steele-John, claiming multiple allegations of inappropriate remarks towards women between 2017 and 2025, has shocked most Australians.

The fact that the party had a crisis communications manual for that entire time and used it to shut down media inquiries, instructed staff to monitor members who posted about Steele-John (and contact them to correct their thinking) is worse, as it demonstrates this was a calculated strategy.

Many more questions need to be answered.

First and foremost, whether the women who experienced the alleged misconduct will actually come forward and speak to the inquiry. My understanding is that at least two women are prepared at this stage to speak about separate incidents that have allegedly occurred in recent years – presumably with safeguards in place to protect their identities.

‘A bad call’: Greens rift deepens over Steele-John allegations

Next, how this was allowed to fester for a decade. Shoebridge’s view is that the party should have acted decisively when the........

© Brisbane Times