I write as a proud Canadian-Australian who is experiencing something I never imagined possible — watching Canada’s sovereignty, economic security and national identity being repeatedly challenged by the country it has long regarded as its closest neighbour and ally.

This is not an abstract diplomatic disagreement to me. Canada is my beloved country. To witness its name, dignity and independence treated as though they may be diminished, negotiated away or simply disregarded is profoundly painful.

Any one of the events that has occurred might be dismissed as another dispute between governments. Taken together, however, three developments provide unmistakable evidence that a red line has been crossed.

First came the tariffs affecting Canadian steel, aluminum, automobiles and softwood lumber. These measures were introduced despite the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement — CUSMA — intended to provide stability, predictability and largely tariff-free trade across North America.

In the wake of U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran, oil and gas prices have surged, triggering what’s widely expected to be the worst energy crisis on record. Amid ongoing affordability challenges, governments are reaching for policy tools to soften the blow for consumers.

Now, Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew suggested that another gas tax cut may be under consideration to temper the effects of high gas prices. In the past few weeks, the controversy surrounding the province’s 2024 gas tax “holiday” has been revived after the premier provocatively declared the policy to be “the most important thing that a provincial government ever did” in Manitoba.

From an affordability perspective, a gas tax cut has major drawbacks.

It only benefits drivers, disproportionately those with multiple and/or large vehicles. The savings provided by a gas cut are dwarfed by the rising prices, which the policy does nothing to address.

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