2025-09-01
So grateful for being voted back into the Senate, allowing me to resume efforts to improve the NDIS, advocate for dental into Medicare, give voice to young people, and much more.
By Senator Jordon Steele-John
It sure is great to be back in the Australian Senate representing our Greens movement in Western Australia.
On the 22nd July, the 48th Parliament officially began, with a series of opening ceremonies. It was a privilege to attend the Welcome to Country, the smoking ceremony, and then the formal swearing-in of Senators. I am deeply grateful to be serving WA in the Senate for another six years ‒ thank you so much to everyone who gave their time, energy and resources to our successful 2025 Federal Election campaign.
It has been fantastic to be back with our Federal Greens team. Our Federal Leadership team includes Senator Larissa Waters as leader, Senator Mehreen Faruqi as deputy leader, Senator Sarah Hanson Young as Manager of Greens Business in the Senate, Nick McKim as Whip, and Senator Penny Allman-Payne as Party Room Chair and Deputy Whip. With 10 Greens Senators we hold the balance of power in the Senate, meaning the government can choose to work with us to deliver bold, progressive reforms.
In these first sitting weeks, the Senate has debated legislation on:
- Reducing student debt by 20%
- Strengthening regulation of early education
- Improving Medicare integrity
- Establishing a national higher education code to prevent and respond to gender-based violence
I’ve been proud to take the campaign to Save Scott Reef to Canberra, including making speeches in the parliament and attending a screening of Coral’s Last Stand at Parliament House. I’ve also been meeting with our environmental organisations to continue building momentum against Woodside’s destructive gas projects.
There have been big developments across the Disability Inclusion and the NDIS portfolio. I’ve remarked on the lack of action from the State and Federal Governments one year on from the Federal Government’s response to the Disability Royal Commission. The government has released the Disability Discrimination Act for community consultation. Labor has announced further, devastating, cuts to the NDIS ‒ you can read my full response to that announcement here. I tabled a petition on behalf of 60,000 people opposing cuts to the NDIA’s pricing guide, which are already limiting disabled people’s access to essential services.
Our campaign for universal access to dental care in Australia continues. We know this would bring much needed cost of living relief and improve preventative health, reducing hospital admission and the risk of heart disease and dementia. I recently put a motion to the Senate calling on the Federal Government to establish a Seniors Dental Benefits Scheme, as recommended by the Aged Care Royal Commission. Sadly, but unsurprisingly, both major parties voted against the motion calling for the establishment of such a scheme. I’ve also been working with the community and Sarah Mansfield MLC on a Victorian petition to allow GPs to diagnose and treat ADHD. While most states are moving forward on this, Victoria and the NT are lagging behind.
This term, I have been re-elected to the Joint Standing Committee on the NDIS, and I’ve joined several parliamentary friendship groups, co-chairing three:
- Parliamentary Friends of ME/CFS
- Parliamentary Friends of Mental Health
- Parliamentary Friends of Arthritis
As the Youth Portfolio Holder I have been amplifying issues that impact young people including the housing crisis, climate crisis, and access to education. I’m working to raise the voices of young people who are too often excluded from decision-making spaces including disabled young people, First Nations young people, and multicultural young people. I’ve also re-launched the campaign to lower the voting age in Australia to 16, following the UK’s decision to lower the voting age. As part of this, I have reintroduced my Private Senator’s Bill to lower the voting Age to 16.
In solidarity,
Jordon
Header photo: At Australian Parliament House, Canberra after the smoking ceremony to open the 48th parliament, with Larissa, Mehreen and Dr Tjanara Goreng Goreng.