Live: Liberal senator says it's 'appropriate' for Steele-John to take leave from parliament

Liberal senator Dave Sharma says it is appropriate Greens senator Jordon Steele-John take a leave of absence from parliament following reports of allegations against him.Follow all the updates in our live blog.Fri 16 Oct 2026 at 7:22amFri 16 Oct 2026 at 7:22amShoebridge had a 'discussion' with Steele-John before he took leave of absenceGreens leader David Shoebridge says the Greens referred the allegations against Jordon Steele-John in the letter to the Parliamentary Workplace Support Service (PWSS).But the Greens leader says the independent body, which investigates workplace health and safety complaints in parliament, said they were unable to deal with it."They said they were unable to deal with it because of the circumstances and nature of the allegations. And therefore, the best way of dealing with this is with a fair, an independent, and a timely process done commissioned by the WA Greens," Shoebridge says.The letter, reported in the Sydney Morning Herald, raises allegations of inappropriate comments by Steele-John between 2017 and 2025.Asked if he knew anything about the matters raised in the letter before it was brought to his attention, Shoebridge says he knew nothing until assuming the leadership.He says he had a "discussion" with Steele-John, where he subsequently decided to take a leave of absence."I can be responsible for my actions and set in the direction that I think is appropriate as the leader of the Greens," he says.Fri 16 Oct 2026 at 7:13amFri 16 Oct 2026 at 7:13amShoebridge says letter about Steele-John doesn't involve 'direct knowledge'Greens leader David Shoebridge says a letter which makes allegations against WA senator Jordon Steele-John doesn't assert "direct knowledge of matters involved".Steele-John has taken a leave of absence from his job, following reports that several party members have alleged he made inappropriate comments to women.The Sydney Morning Herald reports seven party members sent a letter to Shoebridge on Tuesday night, raising "multiple allegations" that span from 2017 to 2025. Steele-John says he "utterly rejects" the characterisation of him and has referred the matter to the WA Greens for an independent process to take place.Speaking to ABC News Breakfast, Shoebridge says the matter is being referred to WA Greens for an independent investigation."I can say that none of the signatories of the letter asserted to any direct knowledge of the matters involved and, of course, that creates some additional complexity in dealing with it," Shoebridge says."But the matters concerned are taken seriously by myself as Greens leader, they are taken incredibly seriously by the party."Fri 16 Oct 2026 at 7:06amFri 16 Oct 2026 at 7:06amSharma says it's appropriate for Steele-John to take leave from parliamentLiberal senator David Sharma says it is appropriate for Greens senator Jordon Steele-John to take leave from parliament.Steele-John has taken a leave of absence following reports several party members have alleged he made inappropriate comments to women.The Sydney Morning Herald reports seven party members sent a letter to the Greens leader on Tuesday night, raising "multiple allegations" that spanned from 2017 to 2025. In a statement, the WA Greens senator says he "utterly rejects" the characterisation of him and has referred the matter to the WA Greens for an independent process to take place.Speaking to Channel Nine, Sharma says it would be best for the WA senator to take leave until the investigation has been completed.However, he says it is unclear whether the WA Greens or an external party will be conducting the investigation."I think until these allegations are resolved it would be appropriate for him to take leave from parliament as well as the party room," Sharma says."I respect that he rejects these claims, as he's entitled to do, he's entitled to contest these claims, but I think to not be a distraction during this time and to make sure these allegations are properly aired, that would make sense."Fri 16 Oct 2026 at 7:04amFri 16 Oct 2026 at 7:04amGood morning 👋Hello and welcome to our federal politics live blog. It's great to have you join us here early on a Friday morning.I'm Josh Boscaini joining you live from Parliament House in Canberra, here and ready to bring you all of today's political news.If you missed it, Greens senator Jordon Steele-John has taken a leave of absence after reports he's made inappropriate comments to women.We're likely to hear more reaction to that story today. So strap in and get ready to follow along as we get this blog on the road!