A high-stakes controversy has erupted within Australia’s Greens political party, after sitting senator Jordon Steele-John publicly rejected multiple claims of inappropriate behaviour toward women and hit back at party leadership for what he calls a coordinated campaign of partisan manipulation. The 32-year-old Western Australian senator, who has served in federal parliament since 2017 and uses a wheelchair due to cerebral palsy, has broken his silence on the allegations that have rocked the party in recent days. The allegations first came to light last Thursday, when Greens leader David Shoebridge announced that Steele-John had entered leave from the party’s parliamentary group, following receipt of a formal letter signed by seven current and former party members. That letter outlined multiple accusations of misconduct spanning from 2017 to 2025. In a public online statement released Sunday, Steele-John pushed back forcefully against both the claims and the party’s narrative around his leave, saying he has not stepped away from his duties at all. Addressing one of the most serious claims, an allegation of sexual assault, the senator confirmed that law enforcement authorities who launched an investigation into the matter had since closed the case without bringing any charges against him. In his detailed response, Steele-John also addressed the origin and twisted evolution of his well-known public nickname, “Feels on wheels.” Originally coined to describe his passionate, emotional advocacy for disability rights, the senator says the nickname has now been weaponized to take on a “more sinister meaning” tied directly to the false claims of mistreatment toward women. Beyond denying the misconduct, Steele-John has accused leader David Shoebridge of serious mismanagement of the allegations, and raised pointed questions about the timing of the whistleblower letter. He noted the document was delivered to Shoebridge the day after party officials agreed on a timeline for the upcoming preselection process ahead of Australia’s next federal election, calling the overlap “no coincidence.” The controversy deepened earlier this week when local Australian media outlets published reports revealing that party officials had compiled a 47-page internal dossier years ago that catalogued the existing allegations against Steele-John and laid out a plan for managing potential media coverage if the claims ever became public. In his response, Steele-John offered context for that document, saying it was created not to cover up wrongdoing, but to prevent the media from overwhelming the two women who had been named in connection to early claims. Crucially, he added, neither of those women have ever filed a formal complaint against him. Acknowledging that the airing of the allegations has already damaged public trust in his name, Steele-John said he remains committed to restoring that confidence through the highest levels of transparency and accountability. An independent internal investigation into the claims has already been launched by the Greens party, and Shoebridge’s office has confirmed that the allegations have also been formally referred to the Independent Parliamentary Standards Commission for external review.