Open Split in Australia’s Greens: Leader Shoebridge Holds Emergency Meeting After Senator’s Explosive Statement

An open split has emerged in Australia’s Greens over the leadership and a senator’s leave. The party’s new leader, David Shoebridge, has said it was his understanding that Western Australian senator Jordon Steele-John had agreed to take leave from parliament while misconduct allegations against him are investigated — even though the senator said overnight that he is not on leave and never agreed to stay away from parliament.

On Sunday night Steele-John released a lengthy, explosive statement. In the 2,400-word statement he claimed Shoebridge had pressured him to take leave after complaints about his conduct were made public last week. He also accused an internal faction within the Greens of playing “nasty political games”. He has denied all allegations of misconduct against him.

Following the statement, Shoebridge called an emergency federal party meeting on Monday morning. He has not held a press conference or spoken publicly about the latest salvo since Sunday night; instead, a short statement attributed to a spokesman was released after Monday’s meeting.

The statement said Shoebridge firmly believes the matter must be resolved through a fair, timely and independent process, as is being commissioned by the WA Greens, and that he has worked to ensure this occurs.

It added that the process must include procedural fairness for everyone involved, with the key findings made public. Shoebridge remains of the opinion that leave is appropriate in the circumstances, and reiterated that this in no way prejudges any of the matters being referred to the inquiry. It was his understanding, the statement said, that leave had been agreed.

That language differs from the first statement Shoebridge issued on the matter last Thursday, which said that in the circumstances Senator Steele-John had requested leave from the party room and he had accepted it.

Nine newspapers reported last week that seven party members had demanded an investigation into allegations that Steele-John had acted inappropriately towards women between 2017 and 2025. Steele-John alleged on Sunday that Shoebridge pressured him to request leave on Thursday as Nine’s story was breaking.

In Steele-John’s words, the leader used those meetings to repeatedly pressure him to say he would take leave. He said survivors of family violence are entitled to make decisions about their own lives, and the Greens have always said so.

“It was a bad call from David. We’ve all made those in politics. So, to be clear, I am not on leave and did not agree to the inclusion of that line within David’s statement,” he said.

The episode has become a major test for the Greens’ new leadership. On one side is the question of an independent inquiry and fair process into the allegations; on the other, the open revolt of an elected senator — and the leadership is struggling to manage both at once.

Attention will now turn to how the WA Greens’ inquiry proceeds and whether Steele-John returns to parliament. The party has promised that the inquiry’s key findings will be made public.