The cyclone heading for south-east Queensland on Saturday is not the only crisis threatening Australia and sending governments into a defensive crouch. Donald Trump 2.0 is the political version of an unprecedented natural disaster buffeting all those who stand in his way and leaving a trail of global destruction in his wake.

Australia is nowhere near as vulnerable as countries such as Canada and Mexico – which were hit by 25 per cent tariffs last week only for most goods to then be abruptly granted a one-month reprieve, courtesy of the Trump whipsaw. A devastated Ukraine – brutally cut off from US military assistance and intelligence – can’t rely on another sudden Trump switch.