Greens senator Jordon Steele-John takes leave amid investigation into complaints

Greens senator Jordon Steele-John has taken leave from the party room after complaints were made, triggering an independent review.

The Nine newspapers reported on Thursday afternoon that seven party members demanded an investigation into allegations he made inappropriate comments to a number of women between 2017 and 2025.

Steele-John said he rejected the claims and had referred them to the Western Australian Greens for a “fair, independent process” that “upholds the principles of natural justice and ensures procedural fairness for everyone involved”.

• Sign up for Guardian Australia’s Politics, really newsletter here

“I utterly reject this characterisation of me, which tries to assert I am someone I am not,” he said in a statement.

“These claims are made without specifics, any allegation of this nature is extremely serious and must be treated accordingly. If someone has made an allegation, I am prepared to address it.”

The new Greens leader, David Shoebridge, said Steele-John had requested leave from the party room “and I have accepted it”.

Shoebridge said the party took “concerns of this nature extremely seriously”.

“This matter needs to be resolved via a fair and independent review that ensures all parties are entitled to natural justice and procedural fairness,” he said.

“The Australian Greens take complaints seriously, and as leader I want to make it clear that the integrity of the complaints process is essential.”

Guardian Australia has approached the Greens for further comment.

In his statement, Steele-John also said: “The letter says that victims of sexual and family violence should be at the centre of any investigation. I agree. In the one complaint of which I have been made aware, I am the person who experienced family violence.”

Born in England, Steele-John joined the upper house as a senator for Western Australia at the age of 22 in 2017 after the former Greens senator Scott Ludlam resigned after finding out he was a dual citizen.

He has been the party’s disability spokesperson since 2019 and has previously been the spokesperson for defence and nuclear.

Shoebridge was a member of the NSW parliament’s upper house until 2022.

When asked whether he was “ever aware of allegations or rumours of allegations against” Steele-John, Shoebridge replied: “No, I received the correspondence in my capacity as leader of the Australian Greens, and I’ve dealt with it with urgency.”