Should politicians be able to hike taxes without standing up to cast a vote?  

Thanks to a 2017 policy implemented by Justin Trudeau’s Liberals, that’s exactly what happens every year with alcohol taxes.  

Every year since 2017, alcohol taxes have increased automatically on April 1 without a vote in Parliament.  

Back in 2017, Trudeau introduced the alcohol escalator tax, which automatically increases taxes on beer, wine and spirits every year at the rate of inflation. This year’s increase will be 2%.   

That may be less than in years past, but that’s still a tax hike. And it’s a tax hike without a vote.  

Over the past nine years, this undemocratic tax hike has cost Canadian consumers roughly $1.6 billion, according to the Canadian Taxpayers Federation.  

If the Carney government wants Canadians to pay higher taxes every time they grab a beer to watch the game, they should at least........

© Edmonton Sun