House of Assembly Fifty-Second Parliament, Second Session (52-2) 52 2 Parliament of South Australia House of Assembly published Question Time Car Parking Levy CAR PARKING LEVY Mr MARSHALL House of Assembly Norwood Leader of the Opposition CAR PARKING LEVY Mr MARSHALL (Norwood—Leader of the Opposition) (14:58): Given that the Premier has now told us that he spoke to a gentleman on the citizens' jury who said that this specific recommendation did not refer to a car park tax—this cost barrier prohibiting people from driving into the city was not the car park tax—did the Premier actually ask this person what this recommendation was referring to? The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL House of Assembly Cheltenham Premier Minister for State Development Minister for the Public Sector Minister for the Arts CAR PARKING LEVY The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL (Cheltenham—Premier, Treasurer, Minister for State Development, Minister for the Public Sector, Minister for the Arts) (14:59): I will explain exactly what my conversation was. I sat in front of the whole of the jury minus one—somebody that didn't turn up to the briefing for me. I saw that recommendation, and I simply asked what it meant. I asked them whether it meant the car parking tax and they all laughed and said no. They said there was one person that was very keen on scrapping the car parking tax and they all collectively laughed—all laughed. I presume what they were trying to do, without knowing what the answer is, is to pay some deference to the fact that at least one of the people there was actually putting very strong arguments about the effect of this tax. Mr Marshall interjecting: The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: The leader is warned for the second time. The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL House of Assembly The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: Look, I am not going to dig the leader out of the hole that he has dug for himself. He sent his chief of staff along on a mission to get the citizens' jury to support the abolition of the car parking tax—he failed. He failed in that endeavour, and instead of just accepting the verdict of the jury what he sought to do was misrepresent the outcome of the jury. Maybe it is something that should be inquired into—it seems to be the fashion. I think this represents a new low, and, Mr Speaker, the Leader of the Opposition has to take responsibility for the decisions that his chief of staff has taken. Mr Marshall House of Assembly Mr Marshall: By the way, he's not my chief of staff. The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: I think by way of interjection the leader wanted to establish that this person was not his chief of staff. The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL House of Assembly The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: I'm sorry, sir; I had taken it that he was. What's his role? Mr Marshall interjecting: The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL House of Assembly The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: He's a member of your staff. The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: The member for Taylor.