Wildrose Releases 6-Pack Plan to Lower Beer Prices, Strengthen Local Industry

EDMONTON, AB: A Wildrose government would break down trade barriers, reduce the price of beer, improve choice for consumers and strengthen Alberta’s small brewing industry, the Wildrose Official Opposition announced.

The announcement was part the Wildrose 6-Pack Plan for Beer Producers and Consumers. The plan can be read in full here.

“Alberta used to be home to inspiring entrepreneurs and a leader in trade and economic growth,” Wildrose Leader Brian Jean said. “The Wildrose Six-Pack Plan stands firmly on the side of consumers and gives our small brewers the chance to innovate and thrive in Alberta, and across the country.”

The Wildrose 6-Pack Plan includes:

Improve Free Trade: Promote inter-Canadian free trade and fight unfair trade barriers faced by Alberta brewers in other markets;
Lower Beer Taxes: Reverse beer tax increases imposed by the NDP government;
Encourage Growth: Support new breweries and encourage expansion of existing ones by ending minimum capacity regulations and retroactive markup rates for small and medium-sized breweries;
Protect Consumers: Maintain our open access approach that ensures Alberta consumers have better access to the beer of their choice than Canadians in any other province;
Fight Protectionism: Make the staff who are studying the trade barriers we are lobbying to remove available to brewers to help navigate the obstacles and red tape in other provinces; and,
Stabilize Business: Put in place a clear, predictable regulatory and tax regime for brewers that is consistent with our trade agreements and the Canadian constitution.

The NDP government’s protectionist policies that increase taxes and create an expensive grant program will, unless thrown out for being unconstitutional or violating our Agreement on Internal Trade, drive up prices and limit choice for Alberta consumers.

“Wildrose supports Alberta’s growing beer brewing industry and wants to see it thrive. It is also really important that we protect Alberta consumers in this process and ensure that their choice is not limited by government actions,” Wildrose Shadow Finance Minister Derek Fildebrandt said. “The Wildrose Six-Pack Plan sends a strong message that Alberta is consumer friendly and home to a thriving small-brewing industry.”