Steele-John Skips NDIS Estimates as Greens Deadlock Persists

Greens senator Jordon Steele-John will not attend the Senate estimates hearings scheduled for this week.

The Western Australian politician serves as the party's disability spokesperson. His absence leaves a gap in the scrutiny of the National Disability Insurance Scheme, which faces major changes before the end of the decade.

In a statement released late on Friday, Steele-John explained that he explored joining the session digitally. He said he was told that arrangement was also unacceptable. He stated he would instead focus on the independent investigation by the Western Australian Greens.

The dispute began in early October when the Nine newspapers reported a three-page letter to Greens leader David Shoebridge. The letter called for an independent probe into allegations of inappropriate behavior toward women between 2017 and 2025. Shoebridge subsequently announced that the 32-year-old senator would take leave.

Steele-John rejected the allegations and denied agreeing to take leave. He accused an internal faction of the WA Greens of playing nasty political games by releasing the letter to media. He said he spoke publicly to prevent his silence from being read as guilt.

Shoebridge maintains that Steele-John agreed to leave but cannot force the senator to comply alone. Only a secret ballot in which two-thirds of the party room vote to expel him would mandate leave. That threshold requires more than seven members. Such a vote would be a drastic step for the party, which prides itself on consensus decision-making.

The next step is the week of Senate estimates. Steele-John will sit out the questioning of government officials. The party room must decide whether to pursue the expulsion vote to resolve the deadlock.