The decision came after both Labour and the Democrats insisted the government
should stick to a pre-GST promise that the price of ordinary beer would rise
by only 1.9%. The government had argued that the promise was meant to apply
to packaged beer.
AUSTRALIA: Government to hand back millions in collected excise
The dispute between the Australian government and the country's brewers finally ended at the weekend, after the government relented and reluctantly agreed to cut beer excise. The decision came after both Labour and the Democrats insisted the government should stick to a pre-GST promise that the price of ordinary beer would rise by only 1.9%. The government had argued that the promise was meant to apply to packaged beer.