An Australian politician, Mark Parton, who leads the opposition Liberal Party in the Australian Capital Territory, admitted on Thursday, August 6th, 2026, that he sent a text message stating "my job is boring" along with an expletive to a contact during a meeting.

Earlier in the week, Parton faced a complaint alleging that the message was sent to a sex worker, as reported by local media including the Canberra Times. The text reportedly included the phrase "Wanna swap," accompanied by a picture of a committee meeting from the previous month.

After initially dismissing the complaint as a "smear," Parton told journalists that he did send the text but denied it was directed to a sex worker. He did not disclose the recipient's identity and defended his actions by stating he was still "holding the government to account."

Parton commented, "There's a hell of a lot of private messages that are sent from a hell of a lot of people in the context of sitting days and hearings," and added, "I think it's appropriate to send private messages to people that are not designed for the public realm."

He described his communication style as an "off-the-cuff larrikin," acknowledging that many perceive budget estimates hearings as "pretty boring."

The official complaint against him has been dismissed, and Parton has referred the matter to the police as alleged "harassment."

Sources