Live: Jordon Steele-John denies being on leave, says Greens leader 'let me and my team down'

Industry Minister Tim Ayres says he found out about the tax office's plan to end credit card payments when the decision was made public in October.

The government first became aware the Australian Taxation Office was considering banning credit card payments in July.

It was in response to the Reserve Bank of Australia's decision to end card surcharges from October 1.

Ayres says the government has acknowledged the transition time was too short and stepped in to delay the ban.

"What's happened here is Jim [Chalmers] and Dan [Mulino] have instructed the tax office to get a better deal for Australia and a better deal for Australians. Credit card companies wouldn't budge," Ayres tells Channel Nine.

Key Event

Social Services Minister Tanya Plibersek has defended the federal government's handling of the tax office's credit card ban.

Assistant Treasurer Daniel Mulino told Insiders yesterday the government first became aware the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) was considering banning credit card payments in July.

The decision was in response to the Reserve Bank of Australia's decision to ban card surcharges from October 1.

But the federal government had to step in and provide the ATO with further funding to delay the introduction of the credit card ban.

Speaking to Channel Seven, alongside Nationals leader Matt Canavan, Plibersek says the reason the government stepped in to delay the changes was because it listened to business.

"The tax office were considering this and the government asked the tax office to go and talk to the banks to see if they could get a better deal on the credit card surcharges that were being charged," Plibersek says.

"The reason that we've changed the arrangements is because we listened to business. We listened to business and we extended the time that they can use the old credit card arrangements."

Key Event

WA Greens senator Jordon Steele-John says he is not on leave after allegations of inappropriate conduct were aired in media reports.

Last week, the Nine newspapers reported that current and former Greens members wrote to Greens leader David Shoebridge requesting he investigate concerns about Steele-John's behaviour towards women.

The Greens leader said Steele-John was taking a leave of absence from parliament after the allegations were referred to a WA Greens investigation.

But in a lengthy statement posted on social media denying the claims of inappropriate conduct, Steele-John says he is not on leave and did not agree to take leave.

Steele-John says he had a series of meetings with Shoebridge about how to respond to the allegations.

He says Shoebridge used those meetings to "repeatedly pressure" him to say that he would take leave.

The WA senator says while he understands Shoebridge has been under pressure in his first week as leader, he "let me and my team down".

"I told him [Shoebridge] I would likely need some time at some point to look after myself, my team and my family, but I asked him, more than once, not to announce that I had requested leave, because I knew it would be read as validating a story where there isn't one. And that is exactly what happened," Steele-John says.

"So, to be clear, I am not on leave and did not agree to the inclusion of that line within David's statement. The Leader of the Australian Greens doesn't have the power to place a Greens MP on leave from Parliament, the party or the formal Party Room. I will continue to do my job in a way that supports my staff team, my family and my community."

Key Event

Greens senator Jordon Steele-John has denied allegations of inappropriate conduct raised in a letter to the Greens, which he says included false allegations of sexual assault, and he blamed the public fallout from the allegations against him on party "factionalism".

The Greens have been in crisis management since a 47-page dossier surfaced on how the WA Greens would manage media coverage of allegations against Senator Steele-John.

It was previously reported Senator Steele-John had taken leave from the party room last week after a letter from seven party members was sent to the office of Greens leader David Shoebridge.

According to media reports, the letter alleged the writers were aware of "multiple allegations" about his behaviour in the presence of women, although none of the writers was said to have direct knowledge of "the matters involved", according to Senator Shoebridge.

In a public statement on social media, Senator Steele-John said, among the false allegations made against him, was an allegation of sexual assault, which police had investigated and made no adverse findings against him, with a finding of no charges.

Read the full story from ABC reporter Cason Ho in the link below.

Hello and welcome to our federal politics live blog! It's great to have you join us here so early on a Monday morning!

I'm Josh Boscaini joining you live from Parliament House in Canberra, here and ready to bring you all of today's federal politics news.

WA Greens senator Jordon Steele-John has released a statement overnight, denying allegations of inappropriate conduct.

Last week, Nine newspapers reported a number of current and former Greens members had written to the Greens leader asking him to investigate concerns regarding Steele-John's behaviour towards women.

The WA senator took a leave of absence after the allegations were made public.

But in Steele-John's most recent statement posted to social media, the WA senator says he's not on leave.

I'll have more for you on that for you soon!