# Lying, misconduct and coverup claims: The Greens in crisis

An episode of [7am](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1461999702), 19 Oct 2026, 14 min.

Audio: https://p.podderapp.com/2544644999/traffic.omny.fm/d/clips/2fb3740d-3436-44af-8cc0-a91900716aa5/62723a1f-3e96-4fc4-882c-b25e0181da4d/d413cbf2-f002-4ff6-a3dd-b4e8005c83be/audio.mp3?utm_source=Podcast&in_playlist=70f29d90-2a63-48aa-bf8f-b25e0181da70

The Greens are in crisis mode after one of their senators was accused of inappropriate conduct towards women. On Monday the party held an emergency meeting after an explosive statement from Jordon Steele-John, denying the allegations and accusing the new party leader of lying. An internal Greens investigation is underway. But what could be more politically damaging than the claims against Senator Steele-John, is the Greens alleged coverup of misconduct claims against him. Today, journalist Rachel Withers on the investigation, the secret dossier to contain the crisis, and what the events of the last week tell us about the Greens. If you enjoy 7am, the best way you can support us is by making a contribution at 7ampodcast.com.au/support. Socials: Stay in touch with us on Instagram Guest: Journalist Rachel Withers Photo: AAP Image/Mick Tsikas See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

## Transcript

[0:01] Speaker 1: I'm Ruby Jones, and you're listening to 7am. The Greens
[0:10] Speaker 1: are in crisis mode after one of their senators was
[0:12] Speaker 1: accused of inappropriate conduct towards women. On Monday, the party
[0:16] Speaker 1: held an emergency meeting after an explosive statement from Jordan
[0:20] Speaker 1: Steele-John denying the allegations and accusing the new party leader
[0:24] Speaker 1: of lying. An internal Greens investigation is now underway. But
[0:28] Speaker 1: what could be more politically damaging than the claims against
[0:31] Speaker 1: Steele John is the Greens' alleged cover-up of misconduct claims
[0:34] Speaker 1: against him. Today, journalist Rachel Withers on the investigation, the
[0:39] Speaker 1: secret dossier to contain the crisis, and what the events
[0:42] Speaker 1: of the last week tell us about the Greens. It's Tuesday,
[0:51] Speaker 1: October 20. Rachel, let's begin with this secret 47-page dossier,
[1:01] Speaker 1: which the Greens reportedly kept and kept updated for almost
[1:05] Speaker 1: a decade, setting out how to manage allegations against one
[1:10] Speaker 1: of their own senators, Jordan Still John. What do we
[1:14] Speaker 1: know about what's actually in this document?
[1:17] Speaker 2: Yeah, so this was an internal crisis communications dossier that
[1:20] Speaker 2: was first drafted in 2016 but updated over subsequent years.
[1:26] Speaker 2: Nine reporter James Wasola actually got his hands on this document,
[1:28] Speaker 2: which detailed strategies for dealing with any allegations made about
[1:33] Speaker 2: Steel John's conduct around women, including preventing damaging media coverage.
[1:39] Speaker 2: So there was instructions on how to monitor party members'
[1:43] Speaker 2: social media, particularly a private Young Greens Facebook group, and
[1:47] Speaker 2: take screenshots of conversations and approach anyone who raised concerns.
[1:51] Speaker 2: It identified potential sources who might leak the story to journalists,
[1:57] Speaker 2: including a senior Greens official who had resigned over Steele
[2:00] Speaker 2: John's reinstatement as the WA branch volunteer coordinator. And it
[2:06] Speaker 2: prepared media responses and also recorded approaches from journalists over
[2:11] Speaker 2: several years. And it also had a plan in there
[2:14] Speaker 2: for internal and external management if the story was printed,
[2:19] Speaker 2: including one subheading that really disturbed me, that said, if
[2:24] Speaker 2: makes the news management of women involved, instructing who was
[2:28] Speaker 2: to call the complainants and what to say.
[2:30] Speaker 1: Right, okay. And so the concerns then, they date back
[2:34] Speaker 1: to 2016, so that's before Steele John was elected to Parliament.
[2:38] Speaker 1: What are the actual allegations against him at that time?
[2:42] Speaker 2: So two women reportedly complained about inappropriate remarks, and that's
[2:47] Speaker 2: what they're referred to here. while working with Steel John
[2:50] Speaker 2: in the WA Greens, and that is really the extent
[2:53] Speaker 2: of the public detail we have. Those two women decided
[2:57] Speaker 2: not to formally pursue a complaint with the Greens, and
[3:00] Speaker 2: the dossier says to describe it as a dispute of
[3:04] Speaker 2: an interpersonal nature with Steel John and to say that
[3:07] Speaker 2: it was resolved. Right. Yeah. We also have the fact
[3:10] Speaker 2: that in mid-2017 that Greens official who resigned said it
[3:14] Speaker 2: was over behaviour and culture in the branch and And
[3:17] Speaker 2: she later made clear in emails, emails with state party leaders,
[3:20] Speaker 2: that is, that it did have something to do with
[3:22] Speaker 2: Steel John's reinstatement as volunteer coordinator after these unofficial complaints
[3:28] Speaker 2: had been made.
[3:29] Speaker 1: Okay, so according to this dossier, there were sections of
[3:33] Speaker 1: the Greens who were monitoring their own members, identifying people
[3:37] Speaker 1: who might speak to journalists and preparing responses if they did.
[3:42] Speaker 1: So what do we know about who was actually involved
[3:45] Speaker 1: in this operation and how high up the knowledge was
[3:49] Speaker 1: in the party of this dossier?
[3:50] Speaker 2: Yeah, well, there's a lot of names in there. We've
[3:53] Speaker 2: got Sophie Greer, who was then a WO Greens convener,
[3:57] Speaker 2: and she's now still John's Chief of Staff and potentially
[4:01] Speaker 2: first in line to get the next Senate spot that
[4:03] Speaker 2: opens up in Western Australia. She was tasked with monitoring
[4:08] Speaker 2: discussions and approaching members who talked about any allegations on
[4:12] Speaker 2: social media. There was Will Kelly, who was a senior
[4:15] Speaker 2: advisor to various Greens federal leaders, and he was tasked
[4:20] Speaker 2: with writing media training to Steele John on how to
[4:24] Speaker 2: handle any allegations. And it also mentions that Kelly and
[4:29] Speaker 2: Steele John are to ensure that then leader Richard Di Natale,
[4:33] Speaker 2: this is in 2017, was provided with any information he
[4:38] Speaker 2: might need. And there were, according to James Masola's report,
[4:42] Speaker 2: four former staffers who confirmed that it was used both
[4:45] Speaker 2: by the WA Greens and the National Leader's Office. But
[4:48] Speaker 2: David Shoebridge's office disputes this. He says the document was
[4:53] Speaker 2: never used or seen by his office. And a senior
[4:57] Speaker 2: staffer named in the document also said they had no
[5:00] Speaker 2: record of receiving it. Murky stuff.
[5:04] Speaker 3: When I received a letter earlier this week from seven
[5:08] Speaker 3: current and former members of the party raising concerns in
[5:14] Speaker 3: relation to Senator Steele John. I took immediate action at
[5:19] Speaker 3: those concerns.
[5:21] Speaker 1: OK, and so now, a decade later, we have this
[5:24] Speaker 1: letter that was written by seven current and former Greens members,
[5:28] Speaker 1: a letter to the new leader, to David Shoebridge, raising
[5:31] Speaker 1: fresh concerns. So tell me about what is being alleged
[5:35] Speaker 1: in this letter. Yes.
[5:37] Speaker 2: So this letter was sent to David Shoebridge just last
[5:39] Speaker 2: week by these current and former Green staff and members. Again,
[5:44] Speaker 2: they're not specific, but they are talking about allegations regarding
[5:48] Speaker 2: Steele John's behaviour towards women between 2017 and 2025. They
[5:53] Speaker 2: say that women in the party have been warned against
[5:57] Speaker 2: being alone with Steele John. None of these signatories are
[6:01] Speaker 2: among any alleged victims. And they also acknowledge in their
[6:06] Speaker 2: letter that an allegation does not equate to a fact
[6:10] Speaker 2: or guilt, but they are calling for an investigation, saying
[6:14] Speaker 2: that that is what is required to clear this up, essentially.
[6:18] Speaker 2: And so Shoebridge did respond very quickly to that letter.
[6:21] Speaker 3: The WA Greens have committed to working to commission an independent,
[6:26] Speaker 3: fair and timely process. That is the appropriate... He.
[6:29] Speaker 2: Said still John would be taking leave while an investigation
[6:32] Speaker 2: was conducted. although there's also now been some dispute about
[6:36] Speaker 2: that as well.
[6:39] Speaker 1: Do we know why this letter was sent now?
[6:41] Speaker 2: It's not exactly clear why now, but the signatories say
[6:46] Speaker 2: in the letter to Shoebridge that he recently posted on
[6:49] Speaker 2: Instagram saying that men need to speak up, men need
[6:53] Speaker 2: to demand better from our mates, our team, our colleagues.
[6:56] Speaker 2: And so in the letter they finished by saying this
[6:59] Speaker 2: is us demanding better from our party. It could have
[7:02] Speaker 2: something to do with the change of leadership. Steel John,
[7:05] Speaker 2: who has denied any inappropriate behaviour, believes the timing is
[7:09] Speaker 2: linked to the WA Greens pre-selections that are coming up.
[7:15] Speaker 1: Coming up, an internal investigation underway, but what will it
[7:19] Speaker 1: look into? OK, so last week Greens leader David Shoebridge
[7:28] Speaker 1: announced that there would be an independent investigation into this
[7:31] Speaker 1: and he also said that Jordan Steele-John was taking leave.
[7:35] Speaker 1: During this period while he's under investigation, will he be
[7:37] Speaker 1: voting in the Senate or advocating for political causes or
[7:40] Speaker 1: indeed the people of WA?
[7:41] Speaker 3: Well, it's my understanding that leave means leave. I, you know,
[7:45] Speaker 3: have some capacity to direct in relation to the party room,
[7:48] Speaker 3: but Senator Steele-John has indicated to me that he's on
[7:51] Speaker 3: leave and that leave means leave.
[7:52] Speaker 1: However, since then, still John has launched his own attack
[7:56] Speaker 1: on the party leader. He's denying the allegations, as you said,
[7:59] Speaker 1: and he's also accusing senior Greens figures of trying to
[8:04] Speaker 1: force him out. And he says he's not on leave.
[8:06] Speaker 1: So talk me through what he's saying has happened here.
[8:09] Speaker 2: Yeah, so he posted quite a lengthy statement to social media,
[8:13] Speaker 2: so anybody can read it in full. He says he
[8:16] Speaker 2: rejects the characterisation of him. saying that essentially accusations have
[8:21] Speaker 2: been distorted by factional opponents. He makes it clear that
[8:25] Speaker 2: he believes allegations of this nature are serious and should
[8:29] Speaker 2: be investigated, but he also points out that the claims
[8:32] Speaker 2: here are made without any specifics. He goes into a
[8:36] Speaker 2: fair amount of detail about a more recent allegation of
[8:40] Speaker 2: sexual assault, which he says WA police investigated without laying charges,
[8:45] Speaker 2: and he says in In this particular relationship, he was
[8:49] Speaker 2: himself subject to domestic violence, harassment and threats. And he,
[8:55] Speaker 2: I think most interestingly, says he is not on leave
[8:58] Speaker 2: from the party, despite the fact that's what his leader
[9:01] Speaker 2: was saying last week.
[9:03] Speaker 1: Yeah, he's saying that Shoebridge doesn't actually have the power
[9:06] Speaker 1: to put him on leave, right?
[9:07] Speaker 2: And he doesn't. Ultimately, David Shoebridge as leader doesn't have
[9:11] Speaker 2: the power to put a senator on leave. Jordan Stilton
[9:14] Speaker 2: is an elected senator and... the most that Shoebridge can
[9:18] Speaker 2: currently do is refer it to an investigation.
[9:20] Speaker 1: And what has Jordan Steele-John said about the dossier?
[9:24] Speaker 2: Yeah, in his own social media statement, Steele-John has suggested
[9:29] Speaker 2: there is a reason for the dossier and it is
[9:32] Speaker 2: to handle a rumour that keeps recurring that he says
[9:37] Speaker 2: was an interpersonal dispute. And arguably, if that is the case,
[9:43] Speaker 2: I suppose there is a justification for for such a document.
[9:46] Speaker 2: You just wouldn't expect people to lay it out in
[9:49] Speaker 2: such uncaring terms, perhaps. It feels like the document is
[9:54] Speaker 2: far more concerned with the consequences rather than with the
[9:58] Speaker 2: actual nature of the concerns.
[10:01] Speaker 1: And do we know much about the investigation? Because it
[10:04] Speaker 1: matters who it is who's in charge of that, right?
[10:06] Speaker 2: Yeah, hugely. I mean, I think everybody agrees there needs
[10:09] Speaker 2: to be one, even still Don, I think, in his
[10:13] Speaker 2: statement says this should be investigated. But whether it is
[10:16] Speaker 2: done by a reputable third party external body and done
[10:21] Speaker 2: thoroughly is the question. I think any investigation also really
[10:26] Speaker 2: needs to look at what unfolded with this dossier and
[10:29] Speaker 2: how the party decided to internally handle what appears to
[10:34] Speaker 2: be a concerning allegation of a pattern of behaviour. And
[10:38] Speaker 2: so really any investigation worth its salt is also going
[10:41] Speaker 2: to need to look at what the Greens did as
[10:43] Speaker 2: well as anything that Jordan Steele-John is accused of.
[10:48] Speaker 1: And how damaging do you think all of this is
[10:50] Speaker 1: likely to be for the Greens? Because you've got a
[10:52] Speaker 1: new leader taking over, the Greens are trying to rebuild
[10:56] Speaker 1: ahead of the next election. What do you think this
[10:59] Speaker 1: all means for them?
[11:01] Speaker 2: Yeah, look, I think it's been hugely damaging so far because,
[11:05] Speaker 2: as we can see, this wasn't handled well. And people
[11:09] Speaker 2: can see through that very extensive dossier that the party
[11:13] Speaker 2: was acting protectively of itself and of Steel John rather
[11:17] Speaker 2: than choosing to get to the bottom of it. It
[11:21] Speaker 2: is particularly damaging for a party like the Greens because
[11:25] Speaker 2: they claim to be the most progressive party in Parliament.
[11:29] Speaker 2: People do expect better of them and they claim to
[11:33] Speaker 2: hold themselves to a higher standard than, say, the coalition
[11:37] Speaker 2: that managed to mishandle a number of allegations a few
[11:40] Speaker 2: years back. But what this points to for many is
[11:44] Speaker 2: a suggestion that the Greens, when it comes to protecting
[11:47] Speaker 2: one of their own, can be just as political as
[11:50] Speaker 2: the establishment. I think any allegation against any politician is
[11:55] Speaker 2: damaging for the party that they're part of, but I
[11:58] Speaker 2: really do think that the dossier is far more damaging
[12:01] Speaker 2: to the Greens than the allegations against Steel John. He's
[12:04] Speaker 2: just one individual, but the dossier makes it look like
[12:07] Speaker 2: a cover-up.
[12:10] Speaker 1: Well, Rachel, thank you for speaking with me. Thanks, Ruby.
[12:27] Speaker 1: Also in the news, a major police investigation involving the
[12:30] Speaker 1: counterterrorism team is underway after independent MP Helen Haynes was
[12:35] Speaker 1: hit by a car outside her Victorian office in an
[12:38] Speaker 1: alleged attack. The Prime Minister says the motive behind the
[12:41] Speaker 1: attack is not yet known, but a 43-year-old male driver
[12:45] Speaker 1: who police say also had a knife is in custody.
[12:49] Speaker 1: Haynes is in hospital with critical injuries. And an inquiry
[12:54] Speaker 1: into the Sydney rally against Israeli President Isaac Herzog in
[12:57] Speaker 1: February has so far found protesters were largely peaceful. In
[13:01] Speaker 1: her opening address, council assisting the police watchdog said that
[13:04] Speaker 1: while the evidence is far from concluded, there is little
[13:07] Speaker 1: evidence of violence from those who rallied. The next five
[13:10] Speaker 1: weeks of hearings will be held in private before being
[13:13] Speaker 1: opened up when higher-ranking police are called to answer questions.
[13:17] Speaker 2: I'm Ruby Jones.
[13:18] Speaker 1: This is 7am. Thanks for listening.

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