Adelaide CBD car park tax destined to fail as Family First rule out support

The South Australian Government's proposed $750 CBD parking levy appears destined for defeat in Parliament, with Family First MPs ruling out support for the budget measure.

Treasurer Tom Koutsantonis met Family First members Robert Brokenshire and Dennis Hood yesterday to seek their backing for the parking levy which was expected to raise $30 million.

The negotiations also involved possibly reducing big increases in the Emergency Services Levy on schools, churches and charities.

But Mr Brokenshire said his party was not prepared to trade one tax concession for a seperate tax increase.

"After considering options, Family First can not and will not support the tweaking of a bad tax increase to support an even worse tax," Mr Brokenshire said.

"So we will not be supporting the car park tax."

The Opposition as well as independent Legislative Councillor John Darley had already ruled out supporting the parking levy.

Premier Jay Weatherill said he was not giving up on the levy despite the failed negotiations.

Mr Weatherill said the parking levy was budgeted to raise $120 million over the next four years.

"I'm not going to wave up the white flag at the first sign of opposition," Mr Weatherill said.

"We're campaigning to get our budget through because it is the right thing for South Australia.

"It protects those services that people need, people that go to a hospital, that send their kids to school, but it also maintains a prudent budget that gets us back to surplus."

Parliament has descended into farce: Steven Marshall

Opposition Leader Steven Marshall held a meeting with crossbenchers to discuss the car park tax as well as push for an agreement to try to make changes to procedures in Parliament.

Mr Marshall claimed the Government was not treating the Parliament with the "respect it deserves".

"There's been a lot of bullying lately. It's completely unacceptable," Mr Marshall said.

"Question Time in the Legislative Council has descended into a farce with no answers given to reasonable questions.

"Questions on notice are going months if not years without a response and quite frankly the Government is treating the legislative council and ultimately the Parliament with absolute contempt.

"There is a whole pile of legislation which has passed the Legislative Council after considerable contemplation that's now bogged down in the House of Assembly and the Government doesn't want to purse it whatsoever."

Kelly Vincent for the Dignity for Disability Party said while she supports the introduction of the car park tax she also wants to see changes to the running of Parliament and Question Time.

"If the Government can't work effectively with the Parliament, then how is it expected to work effectively with the South Australian people," Ms Vincent said.

"I certainly don't think the Government has been respectful in its approach to crossbenchers in particular or respectful to a lot of legitimate questions that we have raised."

Greens leader Mark Parnell said his party would be backing the car park tax but also supported the Opposition's move to change the rules of Parliament.

"We've all got good ideas," Mr Parnell said.

"We put them up for debate and yet the Government refuses to even talk about them."

The car park tax is likely to be voted in the Upper House tomorrow, however the budget now looks certain to face a $100 million funding black hole.