Greens senator Jordon Steele-John has launched an extraordinary attack on his own party leadership, accusing newly elected Greens leader David Shoebridge of pressuring him to take leave and of mishandling allegations made against him.
asserted
John → launch → him
In a lengthy open letter released on Sunday, Steele-John rejected claims about his conduct and blamed a 'political clique' within the Western Australian Greens for orchestrating a campaign against him.
uncertain
John → release → him
Steele-John claimed he had become the target of 'nasty political games' within the Greens, accusing a 'political clique' of attempting to damage his reputation ahead of future preselections.
asserted
he → claim → preselections
He declared that he was never actually placed on leave, despite public statements suggesting otherwise.
asserted
he → declare → statements
'I am not on leave and did not agree to the inclusion of that line within David's statement,' Steele-John wrote.
asserted
John → agree → statement
'The Leader of the Australian Greens doesn't have the power to place a Greens MP on leave from Parliament, the party or the formal Party Room.'
asserted
Leader → have → Parliament
Steele-John said Shoebridge had repeatedly pressured him to stand aside as the story was about to break.
asserted
story → say → him
'I very much understand the tremendous scrutiny David was under in his first week in Parliament as leader, and I have compassion for that.
asserted
I → understand → that
I also feel that he let me and my team down,' Steele-John wrote.
asserted
John → feel → me
Jordon Steele-John (pictured) has released a lengthy statement criticising David Shoebridge
'
asserted
John → picture → Shoebridge
On the morning the story was about to break, we had a series of meetings about how we would respond.
asserted
we → break → meetings
'I feel that he used those meetings to repeatedly pressure me to say that I would take leave.'
asserted
I → feel → leave
The public broadside comes after seven Greens members wrote to Shoebridge demanding an investigation into what they described as multiple allegations concerning Steele-John between 2017 and 2025.
asserted
they → come → 2017
The signatories claimed concerns about the senator had circulated within the Greens and beyond the party.
asserted
concerns → claim → party
The allegations prompted Shoebridge to announce Steele-John would step away from the federal party room while an independent investigation was established.
asserted
investigation → prompt → room
The senator repeatedly suggested the complaints process had been weaponised as part of an internal factional battle linked to future preselection contests.
uncertain
process → suggest → contests
'It is my opinion that this is an attempt to influence forthcoming party preselections by deliberately leaking out of context or misleading information to smear potential candidates and myself,' he wrote.
asserted
he → influence → candidates
It is factionalism, and it has no place in the Greens.'
asserted
it → have → Greens
Steele-John said David Shoebridge (pictured) had no power to put him on leave as an MP
Steele-John's statement also addressed several claims that have circulated around Canberra and within Greens circles.
One involved the derogatory nickname 'feels on wheels', which Shoebridge was repeatedly questioned about during a press conference on Thursday.
uncertain
Shoebridge → say → Thursday
Steele-John claimed the phrase originally emerged after he became emotional while speaking about disability issues and the Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of Disabled People.
asserted
he → claim → People
''Feels on wheels' is a name that members of other parties started using to refer to me after I became emotional early in my career while giving speeches about the Royal Commission,' he wrote.
asserted
he → start → Commission
He said the nickname later evolved into something more sinister.
asserted
nickname → say → something
'Eventually, I was informed that this phrase, which mocked my disability and my emotions, had taken on a new, more sinister meaning: that I had treated women inappropriately.
asserted
I → inform → women
Steele-John also addressed allegations relating to a 2024 Greens campaign event, saying he had not been provided with any details and therefore could not properly respond.
uncertain
he → address → details
'I'm really concerned to read this,' Steele-John wrote.
asserted
John → read → this
'No details were provided in the letter, so unfortunately, at this point, I don't know how I could respond.'
uncertain
I → provide → point
The Aporia
