Thank you, Chair. I was momentarily concerned about the maintenance of the speaking order.
The amendment is of course material to the main motion, and the amendment would reduce the tax increase that is coming on Canadians for the excise tax on beer, wine and spirits.
I don't support the amendment, because I think the automatic escalation of taxes on beer, wine and spirits should be repealed outright. It's not right that there would be an automatic increase of any type that wouldn't be put to a vote in the House of Commons, where MPs can actually vote on whether or not the government ought to increase taxes. There's a democratic principle and a governance principle around taxation and votes in Parliament.
While undoubtedly a 2% increase would be less worse than the 4.5% or 5% increase that would result in the absence of a change to the automatic escalation of taxes that's going to come in, I would support a zero tax increase this year; and I would support no tax increase on beer, wine and spirits until and unless it's put to Parliament, the way tax increases should be.
Under this government, the tax on beer, wine and spirits has gone up every year since 2016. They brought in the escalator, raised the tax then, and put the tax increase system on autopilot, so that it goes up every single year.
Critics of my private member's bill, for example, which seeks to repeal the automatic escalator, have asked why I worry about the price of beer, wine and spirits going up a little bit for Canadians. Canadians can afford a little bit extra on something that's a discretionary spending item.
To them I would say no. This cannot become a country where the simplest middle-class pleasures become unaffordable for working Canadians, where a bottle of wine with a loved one—we just had Valentine's Day—goes beyond that which middle-class working Canadians can afford, or going and having a beer with your friends to watch a hockey game.... These are middle-class consumers who are having their taxes raised every single year regardless of the will of the current Parliament of the day.
It's not right, so I would support repealing the automatic escalator entirely. I would encourage parliamentarians to support my private member's bill that would do that. In the meantime, I would encourage parliamentarians at this committee to oppose the amendment and support the original motion unamended.
Thank you.