CAR PARKING LEVY

The Hon. T.J. STEPHENS (15:04): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Leader of the Government questions about the Premier's toxic car park tax.

Leave granted.

The Hon. T.J. STEPHENS: Recently, the Premier made statements in the media regarding the government's proposed car park tax. He said in one part:

What we're simply doing is raising funds to improve public transport and services in South Australia. And they're the choices, you either support services for ordinary people or you support the big end of town who got in bed with the Liberal Party.

I question what the Premier and the government consider as 'the big end of town', given that the Adelaide City Council, which provides the vast majority of CBD parking, will be hit as well as the individual to whom the costs will inevitably be passed on anyway. My questions to the minister are:

1. Who is the Premier specifically referring to when he uses the term 'big end of town'?

2. If the Premier wishes to only tax private enterprise with this measure, can he confirm that the Adelaide City Council will not be taxed and that parking prices will not increase for consumers for an extended period of time following the implementation of this tax?

The Hon. G.E. GAGO (Minister for Agriculture, Food and Fisheries, Minister for Forests, Minister for Regional Development, Minister for the Status of Women, Minister for State/Local Government Relations) (15:05): I thank the honourable member for his questions. Indeed, one of the reasons behind this tax is to address issues of toxicity; that is the point that the honourable member obviously fails to grasp. Like many other major capital cities that have similar levies in place, this levy is about trying to ensure that we increase the use of public transport and reduce the amount of traffic and car emissions in the CBD.

This is indeed a sound policy direction, and it is consistent with many other major cities, as I said. I certainly do not want to be putting words into the Premier's mouth, but my understanding of 'the big end of town' is big businesses that are the mates of the Liberal opposition. They are the interests that the Liberal opposition largely supports. The Liberal opposition generally fails to look after simple working people or, for that matter, even small business. We see time and time again that the Liberal opposition is consumed by looking after its good mates—big business.