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. 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.