I won't have much to say, but in addition to the comments of my colleagues from the Bloc and the Liberal Party, I think the policy we have in place now is eminently reasonable. It follows the CPI and is capped at 2%, so it's not really an additional cost for the industry. It keeps up with inflation, and the price of their products usually goes up.
I want to add only two things. The so-called “sin taxes” have always been a unique part of public policy when it comes to taxation, and that's a recognition that, while these products have a number of benefits, they also come with some harms. One harm that I think should be put on the record is that there are a number of studies now that have absolutely established a link between alcohol and cancer. I think there's a public policy rationale in making sure there's a taxation regime that makes it clear that, for the products being marketed and sold, there's also a taxation component that comes back from that to help pay for the other burdens that are placed on the public system, including the health care system.
One thing about alcohol is that it is a discretionary product. It's something people can choose either to purchase or not, and they can adjust their volumes or not as well. There's something to be said about that too.
I'll be voting against the whole suite of amendments to reduce taxes on the alcohol industry.