Steele-John to Miss NDIS Estimates as Greens Party Room Weighs Expulsion Vote

Greens senator Jordon Steele-John will not attend the upcoming week of Senate estimates, a decision that leaves the party without its disability spokesperson during a critical period of NDIS review.

In a statement released late Friday, Steele-John said he had explored participating digitally but was told the format would not be accepted. He stated that his focus would shift to the independent investigation promised by the Western Australian Greens.

The absence stems from a dispute that began earlier this month when The Nine newspapers reported on a three-page letter sent to federal Greens leader David Shoebridge. The letter requested an independent probe into secondhand allegations that Steele-John behaved inappropriately toward women between 2017 and 2025.

Shoebridge initially announced that the 32-year-old senator would take leave while the probe was conducted. Steele-John rejected the allegations and denied agreeing to stand aside. He accused a faction of the WA Greens of releasing the letter to the media to play political games.

The procedural path to forced leave is narrow. Shoebridge stated he cannot compel the senator to leave parliament alone. Only a secret ballot in which more than seven members of the party room vote to expel him would mandate compliance. That threshold represents two-thirds of the current caucus.

The impasse creates immediate pressure on the new leadership. Shoebridge must decide whether to pursue the drastic step of expulsion, a move that could damage his consensus-based approach. The decision will be made while rumors and formal complaints remain under review.

Steele-John remains a visible figure in the disability community, and the NDI is set for major structural changes before the end of the decade. His absence from question time means officials will answer questions on those reforms without the party’s designated spokesperson present.