Gone are the heady days of the Affair of the Poisons and of the Queen’s Necklace; of the Pisonian conspiracy, the Popish Plot, and the defenestration of Prague; of Lorenzino de’ Medici, Wallenstein, John of Leyden, and the False Demetrius; even of Profumo and Thorpe, or the machinations of Francis Urquhart and Alan B’Stard.

Politics in these days of legislation, policy, and process often indeed is (to borrow a phrase from Douglas Adams) paralysingly dull, boring, and tedious. But it isn’t politic for a politician to say so.

ACT Opposition Leader Mark Parton MLA, for one, finds budget estimates hearings “pretty boring”. (Like “most people”, he says.)

During a hearing this week, he has admitted, he sent a private message saying “f— my job is boring”.

He hasn’t said whom he sent it to, but denies sending it to a sex worker, as an anonymous complainant alleged last night.

In his view, that complaint was a politically motivated ‘smear’ attempt to damage his reputation. He says he did not know whether the complaint came from another MLA or from somebody outside the Legislative Assembly.

But he links it and obscene graffiti opposite the Legislative Assembly to Operation Kingfisher, the Integrity Commission’s investigation into the Campbell Primary School modernisation project.

“I don’t know why there’s so much concern and so much interest in this matter when, in recent days, one of the most damning reports in the history of self-government has been handed down, involving serious corruption findings that went to the deputy chief minister’s [Yvette Berry] office, that led to her resignation, that cost taxpayers nearly a million dollars more than the original tender,” Mr Parton said.

“I guess it’s not a great surprise, when we are landing attacks on the government, [to] see graffiti and other attacks being made on me.”

Certainly, there was speculation on social media that Young Labor members were active commentors on a Reddit Canberra thread following the Canberra Times ‘breaking the story’ last night.

The ACT Legislative Assembly’s Commissioner for Standards, who investigates ethical complaints against MLAs, would not investigate the complaint, Mr Parton was advised.

The commissioner may decline to investigate complaints because of insufficient evidence; because they were frivolous or vexatious; or because they were politically motivated. Mr Parton said the commissioner had not told him which applied in this case.

Mr Parton did, however, refer the complaint to the Australian Federal Police.

At a press conference this morning, journalists seemed obsessed with whether Mr Parton was acquainted with ladies of negotiable affection, repeatedly asking him for some 15 minutes whether he had ever engaged a sex worker.

“I can’t believe that we’re still going here,” Mr Parton said.

Mr Parton told the pack that he was not worried that his phone would show he had engaged with a sex worker; that his private life was not in the public interest; and asked reporters whether they were demonising sex workers.

Mr Parton – a self-styled “multitasker from hell” – said he sometimes answered social media comments and made public posts while attending hearings. Nevertheless, he indicated that he regretted sending the message, and would not send similar messages during future hearings.

“It’s appropriate to send private messages to people that are not designed for the public realm,” Mr Parton said. “I’ve got an off-the-cuff larrikin communication style.

“A hell of a lot of private messages are sent from a hell of a lot of people in the context of sitting days and hearings. To be honest, I’m not sure they’re really anybody’s business other than the sender and the receiver.”

Chief Minister Andrew Barr said he took Mr Parton’s denials at face value, and was not seeking to score political points.

“Ultimately, who he chooses to text during estimates hearings is a matter for him,” Mr Barr said. “It is not my business.”

However, he defended the estimates process as an important part of parliamentary accountability, involving approximately 75 hours of hearings over two weeks and hundreds of public servants.

“If the Leader of the Opposition considers the process boring, perhaps that is an argument for examining the format in the future, rather than a reflection of the importance of the work being undertaken,” Mr Barr said.

Mr Parton defended his work ethic, saying he had recently worked consecutive weeks of 79 and 80 hours.

“I don’t think anyone can question how much time and effort I’m putting into this job. I’m happy to be judged on the outcomes 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.”

Mr Parton said his Canberra Liberals colleagues supported him as leader, although he acknowledged that his position ultimately depended on the party room.

“If indeed there’s a critical mass that wants to go another way, so be it,” he said. “But I don’t believe that that’s what’s going to occur here.”

He said the controversy had weighed heavily upon him, and thanked friends, colleagues, and political opponents who had asked him whether he was all right.