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Mark Parton

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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Mark Parton
MLA
Portrait of Mark Parton MLA, Member for Brindabella, outside, in daylight.
Parton in 2024
16th Leader of the Opposition in the Australian Capital Territory
Incumbent
Assumed office
10 November 2025
DeputyDeborah Morris
Preceded byLeanne Castley
13th Leader of the Canberra Liberals
Incumbent
Assumed office
10 November 2025
DeputyDeborah Morris
Preceded byLeanne Castley
8th Speaker of the Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly
In office
6 November 2024 – 10 November 2025
DeputyAndrew Braddock
Preceded byJoy Burch
Succeeded byAndrew Braddock (acting)
Jeremy Hanson
Member of the Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly for Brindabella
Incumbent
Assumed office
15 October 2016
Preceded byVal Jeffery
Personal details
BornMark Stuart Parton
(1966-09-24) 24 September 1966 (age 59)
York, Western Australia
PartyLiberal (since 2016)
Other political
affiliations
Independent (until 2016)
ProfessionRadio broadcaster
CabinetParton shadow ministry
CommitteesAdministration and Procedure
Portfolio
  • Men and Men's Health
  • Transport
  • Gaming and Racing
  • Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs
Websitewww.markparton.com.au

Mark Stuart Parton (born 24 September 1966) is an Australian politician who is currently serving as leader of the Canberra Liberals and Leader of the Opposition of the Australian Capital Territory since November 2025.[1] He has been a Liberal member of the Legislative Assembly since 2016, representing the electorate of Brindabella.[2] He was a long-running local radio announcer on 2CC before entering politics.[3][4]

Early life

[edit]

Mark Stuart Parton was born the second child of husband and wife Tom and Jackie Parton in 1966. Tom was a grocer and Mark was the couple's second child.[5]

Parton began a life in media at age 13 when he began writing a fortnightly column in the Beverley York Express.[5]

Radio career

[edit]

Before entering parliament, Parton ran a marketing business. He had worked in commercial radio for 30 years, starting at age 17 in 6AM in Northam, Western Australia, and working in several different states, with the last 16 years in breakfast programs in Canberra on 2CC.[6][7][8]

Political career

[edit]

Parton first ran for the ACT Legislative Assembly as an ungrouped independent in Ginninderra in 2008 where he received 6.3% of the vote, coming in fifth place on primary and seventh after the distribution of preferences.

Parton ran again for the assembly as a member of the Canberra Liberals in Brindabella in 2016 where he received 10.6% of the vote, coming in second place on primary and being successfully elected fourth after the distribution of preferences.

Following the 2024 election, Parton was elected as Speaker[9][10] and on 10 November 2025, following the resignation of incumbent Leanne Castley, he was elected leader of the Canberra Liberals and Leader of the Opposition.[1]

Political positions

[edit]

Parton is a member of the moderate faction within the Liberal party.

Voice Referendum

[edit]

On 19 April 2023, Parton became one of two ACT Liberals to announce his support for an Indigenous Voice to Parliament, putting him at odds with some of his party colleagues. He had previously leaned towards a No vote in the referendum though changed his mind after discussions with the Noongar communities in Western Australia. Parton himself has Noongar heritage, but "[does] not identify as Aboriginal".[11]

Queer rights

[edit]

Parton was one of four ACT Liberal MLA's who supported the Yes campaign in the 2017 marriage equality postal survey and was a member of the Libs and Nats for Yes group.[12]

At the 2024 territory election, Parton controversially opined that ACT Greens candidate Jonathan Davis would not win his seat in Brindabella because he was "too camp for Tuggeranong" during a conversation between the two candidates on the campaign trail. He later apologised for the comment after a Facebook account using Liberal branding began leaving homophobic comments on posts from Davis. Davis said that he did not think that Parton was homophobic, but was surprised that he thought his sexuality should be a campaign issue and claimed it showed a level on ignorance on how tolerant and socially progressive voters in Tuggeranong were.[13]

Gender

[edit]

Parton has been a vocal advocate of addressing the high rates at which men committ suicide in Australia.

In 2017, during a debate on a motion on diversity and inclusion in Canberra, Parton controversially claimed that "if you are a heterosexual white male over the age of 30, you're not really included in anything" and said that inclusion should be about everyone, highlighting the high rates of suicide for men aged 30 to 54. The comment was labeled distressing by Chief Minister Andrew Barr in the context of the broader debate on marriage equality that was ongoing at the time and Parton was compared to Donald Trump by Labor backbencher Chris Steel, both critics were gay men.[14][15]

In 2026, Parton unveiled a reshuffle of his shadow cabinet which created two gendered portfolios of Shadow Minister for Men and Men's Health and Shadow Minister for Women and Women's Health. The men's portfolio has been held by Parton since its creation.[16][17]

Multiculturalism

[edit]

Parton has long been a supporter of multiculturalism, praising it in his inaugural speech to the Legislative Assembly in 2016.[5]

In 2026, following the address by Pauline Hanson to the National Press Club of Australia where she called for Australia to abandon multiculturalism become a monoculture, Parton told the One Nation leader to "go to hell" on social media and labeling One Nation a "whingeing, grievance echo chamber".[18]

Personal life

[edit]

Parton was born on 24 September 1966 in York, Western Australia.[2] He is married, with three children and three step-children.[6][19]

Parton's wife is Colombian and their household is bilingual, speaking both English and Spanish.[18]

He has long been aware of having Aboriginal heritage, but in 2022 researched his family history to find the details.[20]

Parton has admitted to having a caffeine addiction.[21]

Parton is a frequent user of the social media platform TikTok,[22] and was briefly ejected from ACT's parliament after releasing a video that was alleged to breach parliamentary filming rules.[23]

Electoral history

[edit]
Year Electorate Party First preference result Result at exclusion/election Result
Votes % ±% Quota Position Votes % Quota Position
2008 Ginninderra   Independent 3,785 6.3 Increase 6.3 0.38 Fifth 5,690 9.5 0.57 Seventh Not elected
2016 Brindabella   Canberra Liberals 4,962 10.6 Increase 10.6 0.64 Second Fourth Elected
2020 6,218 11.2 Increase 0.6 0.67 Third Fourth Elected
2024 9,606 16.5 Increase 5.3 0.99 First First Elected

Awards

[edit]
Year Award Category Work Result Ref
2012 Australian Commercial Radio Awards Provincial Best Talk Presenter 2CC Nominated [24]
2013 Provincial Best Talk Presenter Won [25]
2014 Provincial Best Talk Presenter Won [26][27]
Non-Metropolitan Best Current Affairs Presenter Nominated
2015 Provincial Best Talk Presenter Won [28][29]
Non-Metropolitan Best Current Affairs Presenter Won

References

[edit]
  1. 1 2 Gore, Charlotte; Travers, Penny (11 November 2025). "Mark Parton elected as Canberra Liberals leader as Leanne Castley steps down, Jeremy Hanson resigns as deputy". ABC News. Archived from the original on 22 November 2025. Retrieved 22 November 2025.
  2. 1 2 "Mark Parton". Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly. Retrieved 22 November 2025.
  3. ↑ "Mark Parton". Canberra Liberals. 21 December 2020. Retrieved 11 December 2021.
  4. ↑ Green, Antony (25 October 2016). "Brindabella - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)". ABC News. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 11 December 2021.
  5. 1 2 3 Charlotte (13 December 2016). "Parton's childhood dream fulfilled". Region Canberra. Retrieved 11 July 2026.
  6. 1 2 "About Mark". Canberal Liberals. Retrieved 22 August 2023.
  7. ↑ "Mark Parton". CBR City News. Retrieved 22 August 2023.
  8. ↑ Mark Parton (8 December 2015). "Parton / Goodbye, good mornings". CBR City News. Retrieved 22 August 2023.
  9. ↑ Bladen, Lucy (6 November 2024). "Parton elected as the Assembly's new speaker". The Canberra Times. Archived from the original on 6 November 2024. Retrieved 22 November 2025.
  10. ↑ Bell, Patrick (7 November 2024). "After an internal tussle, the ACT Greens decide to step away from a coalition government with Labor". ABC News. Archived from the original on 6 November 2024. Retrieved 22 November 2025.
  11. ↑ "Canberra Liberals MLA Mark Parton says he will vote yes to an Indigenous Voice to Parliament, putting him at odds with party colleague". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 19 April 2023. Retrieved 20 April 2023.
  12. ↑ McIlroy, Tom (14 September 2017). "Former Canberra Liberals leader Jeremy Hanson joins same-sex marriage 'yes' campaign". Canberra Times. Retrieved 12 July 2026.
  13. ↑ OIP Staff (8 September 2020). "Liberal MP apologises for describing Greens' candidate as "too camp"". Out in Perth. Archived from the original on 14 April 2026. Retrieved 12 July 2026.
  14. ↑ Burdon, Daniel (20 September 2017). "Employed white men over 30 need more inclusion: Canberra Liberals' Mark Parton". WAtoday. Retrieved 13 July 2026.
  15. ↑ Parton, Mark (6 October 2017). "Inclusion must be about everyone". Region Canberra. Retrieved 13 July 2026.
  16. ↑ Tindale, Lanie (16 April 2026). "Canberra Liberals leader to be shadow minister for men and men's health". The Canberra Times. Retrieved 13 July 2026.
  17. ↑ "Libs unveil new gender-focused health portfolios". CBR City News. 16 April 2026. Retrieved 13 July 2026.
  18. 1 2 Harris, Rob (30 June 2026). "'Go to hell': Liberal leader savages Hanson over monocultural push". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 8 July 2026.
  19. ↑ "Parton's childhood dream fulfilled". Riotact. 13 December 2016. Retrieved 22 August 2023.
  20. ↑ "Opinion: Mark Parton's Aboriginal journey". Canberra Weekly. 30 May 2022. Retrieved 22 August 2023.
  21. ↑ "Which ACT politicians have tried cannabis, MDMA and acid?". The Canberra Times. 24 January 2019.
  22. ↑ "Mark Parton MLA (@markparton) TikTok | Watch Mark Parton MLA's Newest TikTok Videos". TikTok. Retrieved 11 December 2021.
  23. ↑ "Liberal politician kicked out of ACT's parliament over three seconds of a TikTok video". ABC News. 2 July 2020. Retrieved 11 December 2021.
  24. ↑ Meikle, Ian (8 August 2012). "2CC talent in radio gongs final". City News. Archived from the original on 8 August 2020. Retrieved 11 July 2026.
  25. ↑ Staff Writer (12 October 2013). "Networks share awards at ACRA's". Radio Today. Retrieved 13 July 2026.
  26. ↑ "2CC's Mark Parton gets a gong". City News. Canberra. Archived from the original on 11 July 2026. Retrieved 11 July 2026.
  27. ↑ Jordan, Vasinee (27 August 2014). "Finalists announced for 2014 Commercial Radio Awards". B&T. The Misfits Media. Retrieved 13 July 2026.
  28. ↑ Kretowicz, Ewa (11 October 2015). "Canberra wins big at Australian Commercial Radio Awards". Brisbane Times. Archived from the original on 11 July 2026. Retrieved 11 July 2026.
  29. ↑ Mediaweek Admin (11 October 2015). "2015 ACRAs winners 3AW's Ross and John and KIIS' Kylie and Jackie O win big at 2015 ACRAs". mediaweek. Retrieved 13 July 2026.
[edit]
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