Scott Morrison’s ‘sexist’ beer tax cut plan slammed by spirits lobby

Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s plan to shout beer drinkers a tax cut has raised the ire of the spirits lobby which has branded the move “sexist”.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison may have thought he was doing the right thing in shouting beer drinkers a tax cut, but the idea has raised the ire of the spirits lobby which has branded the move “sexist”.

On Saturday, it was reported that Mr Morrison was considering slashing beer excise tax in the upcoming federal budget.

However, distillers say it’s not fair that they be left out of the cut, with figures from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare and the National Drug Strategy showing that men would be the overwhelming beneficiaries.

More than 50 per cent of Australian men are regular beer drinkers, compared to just 10 per cent of women.

According to those agencies, more than 50 per cent of Australian men are regular beer drinkers, compared to just 10 per cent of women.

“Why would you deliver a tax cut that ignores the choices of nine out of ten Australian women?” Spirits and Cocktails Australia chief executive Greg Holland asked.

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“Imagine Scott Morrison or Treasurer Josh Frydenberg walking into a bar and shouting a round of beers for a bunch of blokes, while turning their backs on the women enjoying a quiet gin and tonic or cocktail after work. It would be considered outrageously sexist and out of date – but that is exactly what this proposal represents.”

The idea has raised the ire of the spirits lobby which has branded the move “sexist”.

“Why would the Government want to play favourites with a tax break just for blokes and not for women?”

Instead, distillers are calling for any such tax cut to be extended to spirits, which are subject to crippling taxes that make Australia drinkers some of the most heavily penalised in the developed world.

According to a 2020 analysis by Dr Thomas Simnadis of the Headlands Distilling Co., Australia’s alcohol taxes are the third highest in the OECD, with only Iceland and Norway penalising its spirits drinkers more heavily.

Originally published as Scott Morrison’s ‘sexist’ beer tax cut plan slammed by spirits lobby