John Barlow, MP Foothills
I guess imitation is the greatest form of flattery!
Two years ago on April 11, first reading was given to my Private Members Bill to eliminate obstacles for interprovincial trade of wine, beer and spirits.
The Liberals have copied, almost word for word in their Budget Implementation Act, my ‘Free the Beer’ Bill C-351. But theirs does not go far enough.
On April 1, the Liberal’s never-ending escalator tax increased the price of beer, wine and spirits for the third time in two years. It impacts our brewers, distillers, wine makers, farmers and jobs.
About 85 per cent of the beer purchased in Canada is made right here at home, supporting 150,000 middle-class jobs and adding $13.6 billion to Canada’s GDP. In Canada, nearly half of the price of beer in a liquor store is taxes. For wine, taxes eat up between 65% and 70% of the final price. And for spirits, it’s even worse with around 80% of the price you pay going to governments in taxes.
The Liberals need to repeal this pocket-picking tax on Canadians.
