Nationals Leader David Littleproud has met with the Australian Hotels Association to discuss a beer tax freeze.

The meeting was held Coffs Harbour on Monday alongside local NSW north coast MP Pat Conaghan, who has moved a private members bill to halt future increases.

The meeting follows schooners and pints approaching to $15 and $20 in major cities due to the latest excise tax increase, with publicans have expressing concerns about the prohibitive cost of drinks.

The world’s highest alcohol excise taxes increased on 5 August 2024 to $103.89 per litre for spirits and as much as $61.32 per litre for beer. The CPI increase was the 75^th tax hike on alcohol since automatic indexation was introduced by Paul Keating in August 1983.

“The cost of living crisis has meant that Australians aren’t turning up to the pubs, they don’t have the disposable income they used to,” he told Sky News.

“Then when you couple that with the six-monthly increase in excise, that’s putting beer out of the reach of many Australians.” 

Research from CGA by NIQ released last month confirmed a drop in sales at Australian pubs and bars as inflation and tax-driven price increases stifle consumer demand.

Many breweries have also called in administrators over the past 12 months, unable to cope with rising costs. The latest is Tumut River Brewing Co, which closed on Sunday.

Littleproud also told the Sunday Telegraph that many brewers are going to start laying off staff because people won’t have money for another increase in excise.

“We’ve seen 18 consecutive increases in excise. We are looking at it in totality with other tax changes,” he said.

Mr Taylor said that while in government the Coalition implemented “measures to bring down the price of alcohol and support local beer and spirits industries”.

“The Coalition is committed to delivering lower, simpler, fairer taxes for Australians and we will announce those policies before the election.”

Shadow Treasury spokesman Angus Taylor’s office office has not come to the party. It responded by saying the best way to deal with pressure on beer makers and consumers was to address rising business and living costs.

“The starting point to reducing the pressure of indexation is to get inflation down,” Taylor said in a statement sent to ABC News.

In an interview with Sky News on Monday, opposition finance spokeswoman Jane Hume added: “I always like the idea of… free beer. But, unfortunately, that might not be the policy slogan that you’ll be seeing us going into the election with.”

During a media conference in Coffs Harbour, Littleproud said: “I’m part of the shadow expenditure review committee and our final taxation policy has not been determined,” he said.

“That will be determined by the National Party and the Liberal Party. That’s why we’ll be running the ruler over this.

“The reality is they don’t get to determine all the policy. It’s done in conjunction. That’s why it’s called a Coalition.

“When we determine the taxation policy we’ll take to the next election, it’ll be a Coalition policy.”