Fact check latest: When Mark Parton asserted that the voters of Tuggeranong would not be talking about him allegedly texting a sex worker during a sitting of the ACT Legislative Assembly, he was partly right - but not in a helpful way for him.
Mark Who? was the more common response when The Canberra Times tested his assertion. He will be disappointed to learn that they had never heard of him in the Prosecco and Nail Lounge in The Point shopping centre. He might want to text them to introduce himself.
But elsewhere, they had heard of him. Oh, yes.
And, contrary to his claim that the citizens of Tuggeranong had better things to do than chatter about politicians texting sex workers about how boring the political job was, the people - his potential voters - were not talking instead about graffiti, say, or rubbish collection. They were talking about his texting habits, particularly about how his text had described his own job as "boring".
"I think it really sucks," Jane Klein said.
"He's earning all that money, more than $300,000, and it's boring. Well, get out and go and find a real job."
"I really thought this was a guy that was representing us, and he gets up and says, 'Oh, it's a f---ing boring job'," she said, working up steam.
"How dare you, Mark!"
The odd thing is that she had been something of a fan of Mr P before his latest escapade. She was now disillusioned: "Life isn't getting any easier, so we're being a bit more careful about who we vote in.
"And you really want someone to represent you and maybe offer a little bit of hope in a world where hope is dwindling away fast."
For some in Tuggeranong, the outrage wasn't so much that Mr P was texting a sex worker during an important meeting but that he was texting at all.
He should have been paying attention, according to Jane's husband Phil Klein: "It doesn't matter what the reason is. You're there to be listening to what the other politicians are saying, and unless you're a miracle worker, how can you be on the phone and listen to what's going on at the same time?"
Further down the shopping centre, Byron Carn was more measured. "Probably texting sex workers while you're at work is a little on the nose. I could see the job being boring, but you're supposed to be at work," he said.
"And he's a married man so probably not above board, but private life is private life."
Despite the condemnations, it should be said that no lynch parties had been sent out for Mr Parton. There were no bonfires planned with Parton dolls alight.
And the outrage of some was accompanied by a so-what shrug of the shoulders from others in the unscientifically chosen Canberra Times sample.
"I don't believe it's of any consequence. It's not worth worrying about," Rod Calvert said.
"He can text somebody if he wants to and make a comment. There's no problems there. I don't think it's any of our business. He's a very good person. I've come across him and he's a top-notch person. I have got no problems with it."
But that was a rare endorsement. Perhaps the most worrying aspect for Mr Parton were those "Mark Who?" responses.
Even the alleged sex worker who spilled the beans didn't seem clear. When she posted on social media about the "well known politician client", she seemed to think he was in Parliament and not the Legislative Assembly.
"They really just let anyone into Parliament House I can tell you that much," she posted.
Whoever she is, Mr Parton needs to text her to correct her on the facts.
