The Canadian Taxpayers Federation is calling on the Prime Minister to stop the alcohol tax hike set for April 1st.

CTF Federal Director is Franco Terrazzano who says, ” The only time members of Parliament got to vote on this tax hike, they overwhelmingly voted against it”.

Wednesday night, MPs voted for the motion calling on the “government to cancel its April 1, 2023 tax increase on beer, wine and spirits.”

The CTF says in a news release that the motion passed 170 to 149. The motion was sponsored by Official Opposition Leader Pierre Poilievre and received unanimous support from Conservatives and New Democrats. All but one Bloc Québécois MP supported the motion.

Terrazzano contends that MPs clearly want to see the alcohol tax hike scrapped in next Tuesday’s federal budget. The CTF says by their calculations Canadians already pay about half the price of beer in taxes.

The reason the tax is increasing is because in 2017, the alcohol escalator tax was passed and it automatically increases excise taxes on beer, wine and spirits every year by the rate of inflation, without a vote in Parliament. Much the same as the payraise given to Members of Parliament. Alcohol taxes are set to increase by 6.3 per cent on April 1. So are MP’s salaries.