Opposition Leader Mark Parton has admitted sending a text message from budget estimates saying "f--- my job is boring", but denied it was to a sex worker.
Mr Parton said he had been advised by the Legislative Assembly's Commissioner for Standards a complaint he had messaged a sex worker in an estimates hearing last week would not be investigated.
Asked repeatedly on Thursday whether the complaint was true, Mr Parton said only the complaint had been dismissed.
Mr Parton would also not be drawn on whether he had ever engaged with sex workers either in the ACT or anywhere else.
"I don't think that that question's ever been asked and I don't believe that that question is in the public interest," he said.
"We are talking about an anonymous complaint which is not being investigated and I, as a consequence, I just refuse to entertain questions in the weeds about things that are clearly not in the public interest."
Mr Parton told a press conference he had not given any thought to resigning and that he believed he was being harassed.
"I'm going door knocking after this this afternoon. And I can tell you when I knock on doors down in the Tuggeranong Valley, they won't be talking about this. They just won't," he said.
"They'll be talking about corruption. They'll be talking about their rates. They'll be talking about the services. They'll be talking about healthcare. And that's what we should be talking about."
Mr Parton said he believed he had the full backing of his party.
"They're dismayed as I am. They're a little disappointed that we're talking about this," he said.
The anonymous complaint, which Mr Parton said had come from a Proton email address, an encrypted email service, had been referred to police.
The Opposition Leader said it had been a "whirlwind" and he would need to take on notice when exactly he had referred the matter to police.
Mr Parton also refused to be drawn on who he texted from budget estimates to say his job was boring.
"I know that in the context of Operation Kingfisher we were reported to some, you know, we were treated to some expletive-laden text messages, but please understand that that was in the context of an Integrity Commissioner's investigation into corruption," he said.
"There is no investigation into anything and I'm not going to go into details."
Mr Parton also defended his work ethic after admitting to writing in a private message that he thought his job as opposition leader was boring.
"I don't think anyone can question how much time and effort that I'm putting into this job 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," he said.
Mr Parton said he thought it was appropriate to send private messages not designed for the public realm.
"I think those of you who've known me for long enough would know that I've got an off-the-cuff larrikin communication style," he said.
"I understand that most people's perception of a budget estimates hearings is that they're pretty boring. ... Again, I'm of the belief that we're able to prosecute some pretty solid things in those hearings and, and, and that's what we'll continue to do."
Mr Parton thanked those who had reached out to him since The Canberra Times detailed the complaint in a story published on Wednesday evening.
Mr Parton 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.
On Wednesday, Mr Parton 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.
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.
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 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 Assembly 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".
