Breaking: ACT opposition leader admits to texting 'f*** my job is boring' during hearing

Posted Thu 6 Aug 2026 at 11:32amThu 6 Aug 2026 at 11:32am, updated Thu 6 Aug 2026 at 11:56amThu 6 Aug 2026 at 11:56amCanberra Liberals Leader Mark Parton says the complaint is not being investigated. (ABC News: Stuart Carnegie)ACT Opposition Leader Mark Parton has admitted he sent a text message complaining about how boring his job is during budget estimates.In a press conference on Thursday morning, the Canberra Liberals leader admitted to sending a text that said "f*** my job is boring" but did not reveal who he sent it to.A complaint was previously lodged against him alleging Mr Parton had sent the text to a sex worker, something he denies.A screenshot of Mark Parton's lemon8 social media account. (Supplied)But today, Mr Parton said he had been told the standards commissioner would not be investigating the allegations made in the complaint."I was contacted by the standards commissioner last night, who wrote to me to advise that he had received an anonymous complaint, but he had made the call not to investigate further, and he was obliged to do that," Mr Parton said.When approached by the ABC, Commissioner Ken Crispin said he could not comment on individual complaints.However, he confirmed he would not investigate a complaint if there was insufficient evidence, if the complaint was frivolous in nature or if there was political motivation behind the complaint.Asked if he had sent the text to a sex worker, Mr Parton said: "The complaint has been dismissed"."It's not being investigated by the standards commissioner, and as such I just don't regard it to be in the public interest," he said.Asked again if he denied he was texting with a sex worker, Mr Parton said: "Yeah, I do".'Clear attempt to smear'In a statement sent by a spokesperson last night, Mr Parton denied the allegations made in the complaint in full."These claims are false, malicious and a clear attempt to smear the Leader of the Opposition," the statement said."Mr Parton first became aware of the complaint Monday morning. He rejects the allegations in full."Asked today by the ABC if he had texted "f*** my job is boring", Mr Parton said: "Yes I did".He defended the content of the text message, saying he was still "holding the government to account"."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," he said."To be honest, I'm not sure that they're really anybody's business other than the sender and the receiver."Mr Parton said he was "a multi-tasker from hell". "I've even posted — made social media posts while I'm in a hearing because there's only so much time in the day. And so you just get through what you can get through," he said.He said he had been working long hours, including an 80-hour week recently."I don't think anyone can question how much time and effort that I'm putting into this job," he said."And I'm happy to be judged on the outcomes that I'm getting, the fact that I am genuinely holding this government to account in an extremely robust way and that I am doing the best that I can do every single day."