Alcohol tax and MP pay hike kick in April 1
The Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF) is calling on federal party leaders to stop a pair of policies that will take effect on Tuesday. On April the first, MPs, cabinet members and the prime minister are getting pay raises, while taxes on beer, wine and spirits will be automatically raised. Franco Terrazzano, Federal Director of the CTF says, this one-two punch adds insult to injury.
The alcohol escalator automatically increases excise taxes on beer, wine and spirits every year on April 1st, without a vote in Parliament. That tax has cost taxpayers more than $900-million dollars since it was imposed in 2017, according to Beer Canada estimates.