Australia: Wine and beer tax hike not on agenda

Prime Minister Rudd said the Federal Government had no plans to increase excise on beer and wine, The Shout.com posted on June 18.

“We have no such plans,” he said in Parliament on Monday in response to a question poised by Opposition Leader, Brendan Nelson.

Volumetric taxes on all alcohol-based products are being touted by alcohol-reform lobby groups and public health agencies.

Also joining the chorus are RTD-manufacturers like Independent Distillers, whose core business has been decimated by last month’s tax hike on spirit-based RTDs and which the company has labelled discriminatory in nature.

19 June, 2008