Canada’s Alcohol Lobby Hijacks Public Debate

Taxpayer groups do Big Alcohol’s bidding to block even a capped tax adjustment

Canada’s alcohol industry is once again distorting public debate – this time over an annual inflation adjustment to alcohol excise taxes set to take effect on April 1. The increase is already capped at just 2% – below actual inflation – thanks to earlier lobbying by alcohol industry players. Yet industry front groups are still sounding the alarm, pretending this modest update is an outrageous tax grab.

The Canadian Taxpayers Federation and the Consumer Choice Center have launched a coordinated campaign to block the adjustment, framing it as “undemocratic” and harmful to consumers. Beer Canada’s data is cited directly, indicating their fingerprints all over the messaging – even if others are the public face.

Let’s be clear: this is not a tax hike. It’s a deliberately capped increase meant only to prevent alcohol from becoming cheaper in real terms. Without indexation, inflation erodes alcohol taxes year after year, weakening their ability to protect public health. Even this watered-down 2% cap falls short of keeping up with actual inflation.

Political interference, or lobbying, is Big Alcohol’s activity to eliminate or minimize any alcohol policy effort that would threaten sales and profits. The focus of this Dubious 5 strategy is the decision-makers and opinion leaders with the power to shape and decide alcohol policy decisions. Tactics of political interference are delay, derail, or even destroy alcohol policy initiatives, and to divide coalitions supporting alcohol policy initiatives. Big Alcohol is paying lobbyists and lobby front groups to interfere in public health policy making around the world.

Sources:
https://www.todayville.com/all-party-leaders-must-oppose-april-1-alcohol-tax-hike/
https://torontosun.com/opinion/columnists/jay-goldberg-parliament-must-end-undemocratic-alcohol-tax-hikes

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