Paul Martin Commentary
One place the government is taking in less tax money is on booze. It turns out Canadians are cutting back on the amount of alcohol they buy these days.
Government revenues generated on liquor sales in the last fiscal year were down 1.6-percent to $15 billion. And that’s after prices went up by a comparable 1.6-percent. So, we are buying less and the government is feeling the pinch.
Sales peaked at $800 per person across the country in the 22/23 fiscal year. By 24/25 that had fallen to $737. Saskatchewan has seen booze sales decline for much longer…they’ve been falling here for five years and reached a low of $620 per person in 24/25. That’s about 20-percent below the national average.
Now, one place they’re making up for the lost revenue in the sale of cannabis. Revenues for this category has been steadily rising. Saskatchewan saw tax revenues totaling $66 million in the 24/25 fiscal year, up fifteen-percent in two years.
Saskatchewan, though, is a beer drinking province. We ranked second on consumption of suds, last on wine purchases and topped the list on cider and coolers.
