Shoebridge said last Thursday that Steele-John had chosen to take leave during the investigation.
However, in his social media post on Sunday night, Steele-John said he was not on leave and strongly denied all allegations.
The senator criticised Shoebridge for saying he had requested time off “because I knew it would be read as validating a story where there isn’t one”. “It was a bad call from David,” Steele-John wrote.
In a statement released on Monday afternoon, a spokesperson for Shoebridge said the leader understood that leave was agreed.
“Senator Shoebridge remains of the opinion that leave is appropriate under the circumstances and reiterates that this in no way prejudges any of the matters being referred to an inquiry commissioned by the WA Greens,” the spokesperson said.
“Senator Shoebridge firmly believes this matter must be resolved with a fair, timely and independent process as is being commissioned by the WA Greens, and he has worked to ensure this occurs. This process must include procedural fairness for all involved, with the key findings made public.”
Steele-John on Sunday said the letter to Shoebridge had not detailed any allegations against him – the authors only said they were aware that allegations existed – and claimed it was motivated by factionalism.
“It is my opinion that this is an attempt to influence forthcoming party pre-selections by deliberately leaking out of context or misleading information to smear potential candidates and myself,” he wrote.
Steele-John also responded to a reference the letter made to the party receiving a complaint of serious sexual misconduct in 2025 that involved the senator and a former partner.
In his statement, Steele-John said he had been interviewed by WA Police after a former partner accused him of removing a condom during sex on multiple occasions – an act known as stealthing. He denied the allegations and said he offered to be interviewed by police.
“The report made to the police was of sexual assault – that I had, on multiple occasions, removed condoms without her knowledge while she was on top, facing me,” he wrote.
“This is just not true. I volunteered to be interviewed and spent hours answering every question – including detailing which sex positions are possible for me as a Disabled man.”
Steele-John has cerebral palsy and uses a wheelchair. He said WA Police closed the investigation and did not lay any charges, and that he was granted a family violence restraining order against his former partner earlier this year based on her excessive attempts to call and message him after he ended the relationship.
WA Police declined to comment or confirm whether an investigation took place. Steele-John’s former partner was approached for comment.
The statement released by Steele-John on Sunday evening shocked and upset many members of the Greens in WA, who believed he was trying to pre-empt or shape the outcome of the independent inquiry before it had even begun.
“A fifteen-slide statement released in the middle of an investigation reads as an attempt to win the verdict in public before the process has a chance to deliver one,” said one member of the WA Greens on the condition of anonymity.
“He cast the people who signed the letter as a faction chasing preselection. That framing sends a message to every future complainant about what awaits them if they speak up. The respectful choice was to let the investigation do its work in silence.”
Some supporters of Steele-John in the disability community have rallied around the senator, who has long championed their needs and defended the NDIS in the face of cuts by the Labor government.
Amid growing divisions within the party, Steele-John’s length statement attracted more than 6000 “likes” and comments in less than 20 hours. Steele-John liked several comments underneath his Instagram post from users who thanked him for speaking out and apologised for the situation he was facing.
In his statement, Steele-John said he had been thinking about how to “make sure people who’ve been harmed are believed, while also making sure everyone is treated fairly”.
He said the investigation into matters relating to him provided a “safe way for anyone to raise concerns”.
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Nick Newling is a federal politics reporter for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age.Connect via X or email.
James Massola is Chief Political Commentator. He has previously been National AffairsEditor and South-East Asia Correspondent, and has won Quill and Kennedy awards and is the 2026 Press Gallery Journalist of the Year. Connect securely on Signal @jamesmassola.01Connect via X or email.
Hamish Hastie is WAtoday’s state political reporter and the winner of five WA Media Awards, including the 2023 Beck Prize for best political journalism.Connect via X or email.From our partners
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