A radical tax hike has been proposed by anti-alcohol lobbyists which would see us saying goodbye to cheap schooners and pints.
Under the proposed changes excise on alcohol will rise by 10 per cent. The tax on draught beer would also be increased to match the tax imposed on packaged beer at bottleshops.
Light beer at pubs would increase more than 5 times and tax on mid-strength ale would double. Tax on full strength lager would rise by 50 per cent.
The rise in tax would mean Australians pay $2.9 billion in extra taxes and reduce their consumption of alcohol by an estimated 9.4 per cent.