Jordon Steele-John


Jordon Alexander Steele-John is an English-born Australian politician who is a member of the Australian Senate representing Western Australia for the Australian Greens. Previously a disability rights advocate, Steele-John was first elected on countback to replace Scott Ludlam, before winning his seat in his own right at the 2019 federal election.
On 27 October 2017, the High Court of Australia, sitting as the Court of Disputed Returns, ordered the Australian Electoral Commission to conduct a recount of senate ballots in Western Australia, and Steele-John was declared elected at age twenty-three, making him the youngest sitting member in the Australian parliament and youngest senator.

Early life and career

Born in the United Kingdom, Steele-John migrated as a child to Australia with his parents. Steele-John is a disability advocate who, as a student, stood for the Greens in both federal and state elections. Steele-John studied some politics at Macquarie University by correspondence. However, his sudden unexpected appointment to the senate cut short his undergraduate studies. Steele-John uses a wheelchair due to cerebral palsy. He has an English accent, but is absolutely sure of his single-citizenship of Australia, having renounced British citizenship at age eighteen in preparation for the 2013 federal election.

Political career

Prior to being listed as third senate candidate for the Greens in the 2016 federal election, Steele-John had been a candidate for the WA Greens three times. He ran in the March 2013 state election in the electorate of Warnbro, the September 2013 federal election in the electorate of Fremantle and in the April 2014 special half-senate election which followed the result of the 2013 election being voided by the Court of Disputed Returns.
Steele-John entered the Australian Senate in the wake of two Greens senators being forced to resign due to being dual citizens in contravention of section 44 of the Australian Constitution; in particular, Scott Ludlam in Western Australia.
Steele-John was named the McKinnon Emerging Political Leader of the Year in March 2019 for his leadership as a disability advocate.
Steele-John was re-elected to the Senate at the 2019 federal election, securing 11.8% of the state's vote, with a swing of 1.48% in his favour.

Political positions

Disability rights

In February 2018, Steele-John called for a Royal Commission into disabled prisoner abuse.
In April 2018, Steele-John commented on Parliament House's need to become more wheelchair friendly.

Video games

In February 2018, Steele-John expressed disappointment at the lack of government support for the Australian video game development industry.

Voting age

In April 2018, Steele-John announced he would introduce a bill to lower the voting age to sixteen in line with countries such as Austria, Argentina, Brazil and Scotland.