Greens chief scolds senator for defence on social media

Lucinda Garbutt-Young and Noah Secomb | October 28, 2026

The Greens leader is seeking to distance himself from the investigation into one of the party’s under-fire senators.

David Shoebridge, who has promised to beat a rising One Nation and replace Labor in government despite his party losing three seats at the last election, has outlined how he plans to win back voters to the Greens in his first appearance at the National Press Club on Wednesday.

But the newly elected leader was forced to defend an ongoing investigation into WA Senator Jordon Steele-John over allegations of inappropriate behaviour towards women.

Senator Shoebridge refused to comment directly on the scope or outcome of the inquiry.

“The single clearest message that we’re saying: politics needs to be safe for women, needs to be safe for all of us,” he told reporters.

Earlier in October, the leader received a letter from seven Greens members urging an investigation into the WA senator.

The party’s disability spokesman has been put on leave from the parliament until the state Greens branch completes its probe.

Senator Steele-John has denied any wrongdoing and took to social media to defend himself, which the party leader said on Wednesday was not helpful.

“That is obviously not the way to resolve an issue like this … this needs to be dealt with, with the respect and the dignity and the care that it’s entitled to, and that is that independent inquiry,” Senator Shoebridge said.

The Greens leader dismissed suggestions party factionalism was at play in the timing of the letter against the WA senator.

The party’s stance on providing only non-military support for Ukraine has also sparked a backlash from the Greens’ Ukrainian counterparts and the nation’s ambassador to Australia.

Senator Shoebridge has maintained the party’s position hasn’t changed since the conflict began in 2022, supporting direct aid to Ukraine for self-defence and not the international arms trade.

The central policy announced during the senator’s speech was economic – he wants to lift the tax-free threshold from $18,200 to $26,000, which would give more than $1000 back to almost every working Australian.

Senator Shoebridge insisted earlier on Wednesday that the policy should be considered now and could be negotiated with Labor before the next election, due to be held by May 2028.

But the party holds only one seat in the lower house and would need 75 MPs to cross the floor for the policy to pass.

Labor minister Murray Watt said his party had made its position on tax clear and was not willing to work with Senator Shoebridge on it.

“The Greens are welcome to make whatever statements they want,” he told ABC TV.

”The reality is that come the next election, we will have either a Labor government or a coalition between the Liberals, National, and One Nation.

“They are the two options available, as much as the Greens want to claim otherwise.”

Senator Shoebridge said Labor’s “arrogance” would get in the way of them securing further support.

The tax-free threshold policy would not be inflationary, according to Senator Shoebridge, because it will be offset by new corporate taxes, targeted at the resources sector.

To pay for the $22 billion a year commitment, the Greens would introduce a 25 per cent gas export tax and a market-linked resource rent tax.

“When the price of our resources goes up, the Australian people should get their fair share, after all the public owns the resources in the first place,” Senator Shoebridge said.