Opposition Leader Mark Parton has strenuously denied an allegation he sent text messages to a sex worker during a budget estimates hearing, including one saying "f--- my job is boring. Wanna swap".
An anonymous complaint about Mr Parton's alleged behaviour was sent to Speaker Jeremy Hanson, accusing the Canberra Liberals leader of being "engaged in a text message exchange with a sex worker" in the hearing on Friday, July 31.
Mr Parton has strongly denied the allegations, which he said were "politically motivated" and a "false, malicious and a clear attempt to smear" him.
He said he had referred the matter to police and a spokesman said he was seeking legal advice.
"I absolutely reject the assertions made by the anonymous complainant. It's a distressing and absurd complaint which simply cannot be verified. This politically motivated complaint should be treated with the disdain that it deserves," he said in a text message to The Canberra Times on Monday.
An image obtained by The Canberra Times shows a photo taken from Mr Parton's seat at the committee table, with officials and Chief Minister Andrew Barr in the background. The text underneath the photo in a message exchange read: "And f--- my job is boring. Wanna swap".
The image appeared to have been reposted on a social media platform by someone who described its sender as "a well known politician client".
The photo also showed speaking notes that matched the question Mr Parton asked about the future of Telstra Tower in the hearing on Friday morning. A video recording of the hearing shows Mr Parton using his mobile phone around the time he asked the question.
Mr Parton on Monday provided a screenshot to demonstrate he took the photo in the committee room and had sent it to his wife.
Following a fresh series of questions on Wednesday, Mr Parton said he had also sent the photo to two other people during the estimates committee hearing.
Asked whether either of those people could have shared the message further, Mr Parton said he did not know.
"There is no sex worker. And I don't even have to ask if you've found the sex worker because there isn't one," he told The Canberra Times.
The Canberra Times does not suggest the complaint is true, just that it has been made and the complainant has been referred to the Assembly's clerk to make a formal complaint.
Mr Parton had earlier in the week said the photo had come from a social media post, and had later pointed to a post on the Lemon8 social platform as proof it had been published.
However, the source code for that post showed it had been made about 11am on Monday - after he had been advised of the complaint and its contents by Speaker Jeremy Hanson.
The Canberra Times has seen evidence that the image showing the alleged text message with the sex worker was made on Friday.
On Wednesday, Mr Parton said he had sought to post the image to Lemon8 about 8am on Monday, but said the Wi-Fi network in the Legislative Assembly sometimes meant posts could be delayed from appearing on social media sites.
He said the image had also been posted to Threads and TikTok stories on Friday but the posts had either been deleted or expired. He did not explain why any post had been deleted.
A spokesman for Mr Parton said the claims were false, malicious and a clear attempt to smear him.
"The matter has been referred to the Australian Federal Police. Legal advice is being sought. Mr Parton first became aware of the complaint Monday morning. He rejects the allegations in full," the spokesman said.
"As discussed earlier in the day, the image was shared with two other people aside from his wife on Friday via SMS and screenshots of those conversations have been provided to you.
"Mr Parton respects the privacy of those two individuals, and he would be extremely disappointed if these message threads became public in any way.
"Additionally, as discussed earlier in the day, the image was posted on Threads on Friday morning and subsequently deleted as well as TikTok stories, where it has now expired.
"These allegations are denied in their entirety."
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Mr Parton, whose total remuneration package is worth $337,197 a year, was first elected to the Legislative Assembly at the 2016 election and became opposition leader in November 2025.
"Mark should do the right thing and show his text messages with the sex worker to the Chair and Speaker, so that appropriate action can be taken," the anonymous complaint said.
"The sex worker has done nothing wrong whatsoever, and they are much younger and more financially vulnerable than Mark Parton. The messages have not been attached to protect their privacy."
The complaint claimed the video of the Friday committee hearing showed Mr Parton using his phone at the time he was alleged to have sent the messages to a sex worker.
The video, reviewed by The Canberra Times, showed Mr Parton using his mobile phone, including taking a photograph.
"Spending his time in Assembly hearings by arranging meetings with sex workers isn't conduct that the Assembly, the Committee, the Liberal Party members who worked hard to elect him and the rest of the Liberal members, or the public would accept," the complaint said.
"The Liberal rank and file who support you do not deserve to be tarnished by this activity and he should be held accountable."
The Liberals' Chiaka Barry, who is chairing the budget estimates committee, also received the complaint.
"I reached out to the Speaker and my understanding is that the Speaker has responded to the complainant about the appropriate process," Ms Barry said.
The Speaker said he did not comment on individual matters.
"The Assembly has a process outlined in standing orders for dealing with complaints about Members through the independent Commissioner for Standards. The assessment of any complaint lies wholly with the Commissioner," Mr Hanson said.
"Without commenting on any specific complaint, if a complaint is made directly to me as speaker, I advise the complainant that should they wish to make a complaint, it is to be made to the Commissioner through the Clerk of the Assembly's email which I would provide to them."
A complaint about a Legislative Assembly's behaviour is generally investigated by the Commissioner for Standards, Ken Crispin KC, after a referral from the Assembly's clerk.
The commissioner can decide not to investigate the complaint if he finds on reasonable grounds it is "frivolous, vexatious or only for political advantage".
