In the lead-up to Australian elections, the opposition Coalition has proposed a 'Fuel Price Shield' — a conditional halving of fuel excise whenever global oil sustains $US100 per barrel — funded by dramatically cutting tobacco excise. The announcement, made in Canberra by Opposition Leader Angus Taylor, reflects a recurring tension in democratic economies: the desire to offer immediate relief to struggling households against the harder truth that price interventions often redistribute pain rather than eliminate it. Both the government's swift dismissal and economists' warnings point to a deepe