ACT Opposition Leader admits texting 'f*** my job is boring' during hearing

Australian Capital Territory Opposition Leader Mark Parton has admitted to sending a text message during budget estimates that read, "f*** my job is boring." The admission came during a press conference on Thursday morning, where Parton confirmed the message's content but declined to reveal the recipient.

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f*** my job is boring

A complaint had previously been lodged against Parton, alleging he sent the text to a sex worker. However, Parton stated on Thursday that the standards commissioner had informed him the complaint would not be investigated further, citing insufficient evidence. "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," Parton said.

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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.

When pressed by the ABC about whether he had sent the text to a sex worker, Parton responded, "The complaint has been dismissed." He added, "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 explicitly denied texting with a sex worker.

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The complaint has been dismissed.

In a statement released the previous night, a spokesperson for Parton had vehemently denied the allegations, labeling them "false, malicious and a clear attempt to smear the Leader of the Opposition." Parton himself defended the text's content, asserting he was still "holding the government to account." He argued that many private messages are exchanged in the context of sitting days and hearings, and suggested they are "nobody's business other than the sender and the receiver." Parton described himself as a "multi-tasker from hell," citing instances of making social media posts during hearings and working up to 80-hour weeks, stating, "I don't think anyone can question how much time and effort that I'm putting into this job."

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These claims are false, malicious and a clear attempt to smear the Leader of the Opposition.