Taxes on liquor in Canada are already very high.

Nearly half of the price of beer in a liquor store is federal and provincial taxes.

For wine, taxes eat up between 65% and 70% of the final price.

And for spirits, it’s even worse. Around 80% of the price you pay go to governments in various taxes.

In Budget 2017, the federal government passed a ‘liquor tax escalator’ that automatically increases the federal taxes on beer, wine and spirits every single year. On April 1, 2017, they hiked every federal liquor tax by 2% and on April 1st of every year they will automatically increase alcohol taxes by the rate of inflation. Forever.

No longer will our elected members of parliament have to stand up and vote on whether to hike these taxes. If they get away with this for alcohol taxes, what will be next? Gas taxes? The GST?

Our federal politicians need to be held accountable for their decisions to hike taxes. And hard-working Canadians should be able to enjoy a drink without being gouged by the government.