1 00:00:00,040 --> 00:00:03,040 Speaker 1: How fascinating are these booz stats? A alcohol consumptions down 2 00:00:03,080 --> 00:00:05,640 Speaker 1: eight point three percent, beers down ten, high strength beers 3 00:00:05,680 --> 00:00:09,239 Speaker 1: down twenty seven, wind's down eleven. We average one point 4 00:00:09,280 --> 00:00:11,119 Speaker 1: six standard drinks today. Is that a lot? Not as 5 00:00:11,160 --> 00:00:12,760 Speaker 1: much as it used to be. It's a twenty four 6 00:00:12,800 --> 00:00:16,439 Speaker 1: percent drop since twenty eleven. Anyway, Just Ruffle is the 7 00:00:16,720 --> 00:00:19,480 Speaker 1: Garage Project breweries co owner as well as Morning. 8 00:00:20,200 --> 00:00:21,400 Speaker 2: Wanning, Hey doing make good? 9 00:00:21,480 --> 00:00:22,360 Speaker 1: Are you feeling it? 10 00:00:23,960 --> 00:00:26,439 Speaker 2: I mean, we're definitely feeling a lot of pressure over 11 00:00:26,440 --> 00:00:29,040 Speaker 2: the last few years. As you said, the volume is 12 00:00:29,080 --> 00:00:32,360 Speaker 2: down ten percent has just reported. But I think the 13 00:00:32,400 --> 00:00:36,040 Speaker 2: thing that's really driving this is we've seen bear excise 14 00:00:36,120 --> 00:00:39,160 Speaker 2: tax increase twenty three and a half percent since twenty twenty. 15 00:00:39,400 --> 00:00:41,960 Speaker 1: So you'd argue it's cost. If the cost was different, 16 00:00:42,000 --> 00:00:44,640 Speaker 1: consumption would rise. It's not a health related. 17 00:00:44,240 --> 00:00:48,480 Speaker 2: Thing, absolutely. I mean, you know, the government has come 18 00:00:48,479 --> 00:00:50,479 Speaker 2: out and said that they've missed their revenue target by 19 00:00:50,479 --> 00:00:52,839 Speaker 2: one hundred and ten million on the tax take, so 20 00:00:52,880 --> 00:00:55,240 Speaker 2: they've clearly taxed it to the point where people just 21 00:00:55,240 --> 00:00:57,040 Speaker 2: can't afford to guide and drink anymore. 22 00:00:57,240 --> 00:00:59,920 Speaker 1: How do you explain the spirits are up? 23 00:01:01,520 --> 00:01:03,800 Speaker 2: I mean I'd argue that you know, people are potentially 24 00:01:03,880 --> 00:01:07,600 Speaker 2: substituting or looking for alternatives that might be more cost effective. 25 00:01:07,840 --> 00:01:12,120 Speaker 2: You know, we have great locally produced spirits and RTDs 26 00:01:12,160 --> 00:01:14,240 Speaker 2: based on local spirits, but there's also a lot of 27 00:01:14,280 --> 00:01:16,440 Speaker 2: important bulk ethanol products on the market. 28 00:01:17,480 --> 00:01:18,880 Speaker 1: What are you going to do about this? I mean 29 00:01:18,920 --> 00:01:21,840 Speaker 1: this argument we've had people on before about the excise tax. 30 00:01:21,880 --> 00:01:25,200 Speaker 1: If that's the issue. Do you see the industry see 31 00:01:25,200 --> 00:01:28,160 Speaker 1: itself getting a win on this? Is it potentially going 32 00:01:28,200 --> 00:01:30,440 Speaker 1: to change or you know, banging your head against the wall. 33 00:01:31,440 --> 00:01:32,920 Speaker 2: I mean, I think we just need to look at 34 00:01:32,920 --> 00:01:35,360 Speaker 2: what our friends over the pitch are doing. You know, 35 00:01:35,400 --> 00:01:39,600 Speaker 2: we've got a three hundred and fifty thousand dollars excise 36 00:01:39,720 --> 00:01:43,880 Speaker 2: grant in place for breweries in Australia. They're just passing 37 00:01:43,959 --> 00:01:47,440 Speaker 2: legislation to freeze excise on draft beer for two years. 38 00:01:48,440 --> 00:01:51,040 Speaker 2: You know, it's not just us who feel the pain 39 00:01:51,120 --> 00:01:53,520 Speaker 2: as breweries. This goes all the way to hot farmers, 40 00:01:54,160 --> 00:01:58,400 Speaker 2: bari farmers. It again flows through to hospitality restaurants, bars. 41 00:01:58,480 --> 00:02:01,520 Speaker 2: You know, this is a multi billion dollar industry that 42 00:02:01,600 --> 00:02:05,760 Speaker 2: is essentially just been taxed in a bizarre, crazy way. 43 00:02:06,000 --> 00:02:10,440 Speaker 2: You know, we levy our xis on CPI and post 44 00:02:10,560 --> 00:02:13,399 Speaker 2: COVID we had we were the only country and OECD 45 00:02:13,520 --> 00:02:17,880 Speaker 2: who really continued taxing based on that post COVID inflation spike. 46 00:02:18,600 --> 00:02:20,480 Speaker 2: So we're just asking for a bit of common sense. 47 00:02:20,560 --> 00:02:23,680 Speaker 2: You know, we're currently paying twenty thirty one levels of 48 00:02:23,720 --> 00:02:26,200 Speaker 2: tax based on that increases drink. 49 00:02:26,280 --> 00:02:28,639 Speaker 1: COVID is there for somebody like you are branding or 50 00:02:28,639 --> 00:02:31,200 Speaker 1: a style thing then so if things are the way 51 00:02:31,240 --> 00:02:33,160 Speaker 1: they are, do you get cut through with brand and 52 00:02:33,200 --> 00:02:35,320 Speaker 1: style and you know, vibe and all that sort of thing. 53 00:02:36,480 --> 00:02:39,240 Speaker 2: We will always keep brewing new beers and that's what 54 00:02:39,280 --> 00:02:41,240 Speaker 2: we love doing, you know. I mean, and it's not 55 00:02:41,280 --> 00:02:43,200 Speaker 2: just all about the alcohol for us. I mean, beers 56 00:02:43,280 --> 00:02:45,960 Speaker 2: like Tiny They've been a huge success. You know, we 57 00:02:46,080 --> 00:02:50,000 Speaker 2: are seeing people shifting to beers with lower or non alcohol. 58 00:02:51,000 --> 00:02:53,120 Speaker 2: But you know, people do want to drink local. You know, 59 00:02:53,200 --> 00:02:55,960 Speaker 2: they want to support local breweries in their communities. They're 60 00:02:56,000 --> 00:02:59,359 Speaker 2: employing more people than the larger breweries, and you know 61 00:02:59,400 --> 00:03:01,600 Speaker 2: there is growing a weenness of that. We just want 62 00:03:01,600 --> 00:03:03,520 Speaker 2: to have a fear go at actually producing what we 63 00:03:03,600 --> 00:03:05,440 Speaker 2: do and not be taxed out of existence. 64 00:03:05,560 --> 00:03:07,880 Speaker 1: All right, man, go well, just Ruffle, who was with 65 00:03:08,040 --> 00:03:11,799 Speaker 1: garage Project Diageo, which is the world's biggest spirit maker. 66 00:03:12,480 --> 00:03:14,400 Speaker 1: There she is a crash this morning day lowered their 67 00:03:14,400 --> 00:03:17,639 Speaker 1: profit outlook. Global demand on alcohol is down. I think 68 00:03:17,639 --> 00:03:20,160 Speaker 1: in reality it's less about tax and more about health. 69 00:03:20,520 --> 00:03:25,960 Speaker 1: There is a global move away from booze. Generally. For 70 00:03:26,080 --> 00:03:29,440 Speaker 1: more from the Mike Asking Breakfast, listen live to news talks. 71 00:03:29,440 --> 00:03:32,640 Speaker 1: It'd be from six am weekdays, or follow the podcast 72 00:03:32,680 --> 00:03:33,560 Speaker 1: on iHeartRadio.