Victoria
Dave Sharma calls for Jordon Steele-John to take leave
Liberal Senator Dave Sharma says it is appropriate for Greens Senator Jordon Steele-John to take leave following reports of allegations.
Liberal Senator Dave Sharma has stated that it is appropriate for Australian Greens Senator Jordon Steele-John to take a leave of absence from federal parliament, following reports of allegations against him.
The comments, which were made during a live broadcast on Wednesday according to wire reports, come as political figures react to the emerging reports surrounding the Western Australian Greens senator.
Senator Sharma indicated that given the circumstances, stepping aside temporarily while the matter is addressed would be the correct course of action for the Greens representative. The Coalition senator suggested that a leave of absence would allow for a proper process to occur without ongoing disruption to the upper house.
Very few details about the specific substance or origin of the allegations against Senator Steele-John have been confirmed at this stage. It remains unclear whether the allegations have been formally referred to any parliamentary or external authorities, and the exact nature of the complaints has not been disclosed to the public.
The Australian Greens have not yet released a detailed formal response to the development, nor have they confirmed if Senator Steele-John will indeed seek a formal leave of absence from his legislative duties. Senator Steele-John, who was first elected to the Senate in 2017 representing Western Australia, has also not yet issued a personal statement addressing the calls for his temporary step-back.
The federal opposition and crossbench are expected to seek further clarity on the matter when parliament next sits.
Observers will now be watching to see whether the Australian Greens leadership or Senator Steele-John will make a formal statement regarding his parliamentary standing.
This report draws on original reporting by Wire report.
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