Foothills MP John Barlow is pointing out a new escalator tax  could set a dangerous precedent the federal level.

The federal government included an escalator tax on beer, wine and spirits based on inflation in the most recent budget.

It looked like the Senate was going to reject the request, but in the end it went through.

"There are lots of people that say it's only a couple cents a case of beer but it is the principal of it," said Barlow. "What our concern is, what is your next target if you think this is fair and it's not, if you get away with it on alcohol then what is next."

He says Liberal Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau put the same kind of tax in place in the mid-eighties it devastated the industries and thousands of jobs were lost.

"We lost half of our distilleries and it's taken until now for the industry to recover."

Barlow said the government is saying they are not raising taxes but the carbon tax and this tax adds to the burden of everyone.

"Who do you think pays for these things? This is a unfair, dangerous tax that increases each year compounding over the years. So they are saying it is only a couple of cents a case of beer and sure it is this year."

There is a win in the situation as the conservatives have been able to get their message out there that these acts are tax increases.

He adds a tax like this goes against a fundamental part of our democracy which is no taxation without representation.

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