ACT Opposition Leader and Canberra Liberals Leader Mark Parton has admitted to sending a text message during budget estimates that read "f*** my job is boring." He confirmed this during a press conference on Thursday morning, August 6, 2026, but did not disclose the recipient of the message.

A complaint had been lodged alleging that Parton sent the text to a sex worker, an allegation he denies. Parton stated he first became aware of the complaint on Monday morning and rejected the allegations in full.

Parton said he was contacted by the standards commissioner the previous night, who informed him that an anonymous complaint had been received but that the commissioner had decided not to investigate further and was obliged to make that call. The commissioner did not provide a reason for this decision.

The text message image was reportedly shared via SMS with three people on Friday, including Parton's wife. Parton defended the content of the text, citing long working hours and the nature of sitting days and hearings, noting that many private messages are sent during such times. He also remarked that such messages are generally private between sender and receiver.

Parton emphasized that the complaint is not being investigated and maintained his position despite the allegations.

Sources