OTTAWA—CJ Helie, the president of Beer Canada, was waiting at Billy Bishop airport for a flight to Ottawa to hear the Liberals unveil their 2023 budget.
There was the measure introduced in Tuesday’s budget: a cap on the excise duty for 2023 at two per cent. With restrictions in place, the hospitality sector was devastated. Despite everyone crossing their fingers and hoping for a rebound in 2022 as restrictions lifted, it didn’t go back to pre-pandemic times.
Except despite all the emails and meetings and calls and mail-outs, their target of getting changes made by last year’s fall economic statement went nowhere. MPs were going home for weekends and talking to constituents and small businesses and suddenly getting an earful about the excise tax — even down to the number it was going up: 6.3 per cent.
Not that old trick go high then reduce it 🤣
How much you want to bet they raise prices anyways?