Beer Canada’s #FreezeItForThem Message
Protecting and creating jobs for Canadian women and men is the key to economic recovery coming out of COVID-19. Jobs that Canadians rely on to pay their bills and feed their families. Many that are connected, in some way, to making, selling and distributing beer, including restaurants, hospitality, tourism, agriculture, retail, wholesale and distribution and manufacturing. Right now, every job matters.
There’s 149,000 Canadians whose jobs are directly or indirectly supported by the production and sale of beer, some in areas hit hardest by the pandemic. To protect these jobs – and create more – governments across Canada need to consider actions that provide direct financial relief, stimulate growth and incentivize investment. Increasing or adding new taxes that will impact Canadian jobs, consumers and small businesses won’t help the recovery.
In Canada, 85% of the beer consumed here is made here. It’s by-and-large a local industry. Yet almost half the price of beer – 47% – is government tax that continues to rise regularly. Increasing beer taxes more, especially during this time of economic uncertainty, doesn’t just affect Canadian brewers, it impacts the broader beer value chain. Like servers at bars and restaurants. Barley farmers. Maltsters. Can and bottle manufacturers. Delivery women and men. Beer and liquor store employees. Tourism and hospitality professionals. Small business owners. The 15,000 Canadians who work in Canada’s 1,110+ breweries. And the Canadian people who need to keep dollars in their pockets, now more than ever.
That’s why we’re asking governments across Canada to Freeze It For Them (freeze all beer tax increases) – to help protect and create jobs and provide relief for the many sectors supported by the production and sale of beer.
Find out more at www.freezeitforthem.ca #FreezeItForThem
