Canadian musician Matthew Good cancels U.S. shows to protest Trump tariffs
Good, 54, made the announcement Saturday on Facebook, telling his U.S. fans that he cannot 'in good conscience carry out my dates this summer in your country.'
'This is not fair to you, and I'm very well aware of that, but the truth is, every week that goes by, I have a deeper disdain for what's going on there politically,' the four-time Juno winner wrote.
'My world has always focussed [sic] on political awareness, and I know that you might not all be on the same side, so I want to be clear about this,' he continued. 'It's MY opinion, and I'm willing to risk my future US career, to stand up against things today, and god willing, for ONLY another 3 years.'
Story continues below advertisement
The Load Me Up rocker pointed to Canada's cancellation of the digital services tax on Canadian revenue of companies such as Amazon, Google and Meta as a main factor in the decision. Prime Minister Mark Carney announced late last month that Canada would cancel the planned tax as a condition of resuming trade talks with the U.S.
'Recently, it was announced that after a year of an imposed digital services tax, we (Canada) are backing down from that, to appease Mr. Trump's government,' Good wrote. 'This was approximately 2 billion dollars in revenue that has been accumulating, and we're walking away from that,' Good wrote.
Get breaking National news
For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up
By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy
'Add to that, the massive increase in visa costs, the fear mongering that even after we have our visas, we may still be denied entry if we have something negative to say about the current GOP, and I end up in a situation where I'm biting my tongue, and losing what credibility I had to stand up and say something.'
Story continues below advertisement
Good went on to say he will lose a week's worth of work but 'giving up 30% of our earnings to a withholding tax, walking on eggshells at the border, and actively participating in the silencing of opinions, is a bigger cost to me personally.'
'I realize that I have approximately .00001% impact on things overall, as this was just a few thousand tickets, but I can't stand by and be quiet while our amazing country is bullied into walking away from billions in needed revenue, constantly left wondering if we actually have a partner or an enemy to the south, and equally as tragic, supporting someone who has completely bastardized the institution of art and culture in the US.'
Good also said he would 'invite other artists to join me' but knows that is 'unfair.'
Good was scheduled to perform in Cleveland, Pittsburgh and Buffalo in the coming days. He's still encouraging fans to show their support for the band Texas King, which would have joined him at the shows.
The Hello Time Bomb singer also took to Instagram after Trump first made his comments early in the new year about wanting Canada to join the United States as the 51st state.
Story continues below advertisement
'I did not ever think that something of this troubling significance would ever occur in my lifetime,' he began. 'Yesterday the Prime Minister resigned. Today, the incoming President of the United States clearly admitted at a press conference that one of his goals is to annex Canada through the use of what can only be termed as economic warfare.'
Good said that his family fought in the Second World War 'for the freedoms and sovereignty of this nation, Canada.'
'I have travelled this nation more times coast to coast than most ever will. And I can tell you without hesitation that despite those petty divisions some attempt to promote, the majority of us hold this land dear,' he wrote. 'From Haida Gwaii to Halifax, we're Canadians that have the ability to share the best of ourselves with others. And we do.'
'In all of this, there will come a time to stand up and refuse to abandon this nation and what it means to truly be Canadian. I hope when that time comes, you will join me in doing so,' Good concluded his post.
Story continues below advertisement
— With files from The Canadian Press
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
42 minutes ago
Carney says a U.S. trade deal without some tariffs is unlikely
Prime Minister Mark Carney said Tuesday U.S. President Donald Trump seems wedded to tariffs and any trade deal with the Americans may include accepting some levies on exports. Speaking to reporters ahead of a cabinet meeting on Parliament Hill about the trade war, Carney said in French that all of Trump's trade agreements to this point have included some tariffs. He said there's not a lot of evidence right now that the U.S. is willing to cut a deal without some tariffs included. Indeed, Trump's trade arrangement with the U.K., a country with which the U.S. has a trading surplus, includes a 10 per cent baseline tariff. WATCH | Carney says 'not a lot of evidence' for tariff-free deals with U.S.: Début du widget Widget. Passer le widget ? Fin du widget Widget. Retourner au début du widget ? Carney did not say if he's willing to accept tariffs. At last month's G7 summit after a meeting with Trump, Carney said Canada will sign an agreement that's in Canada's best interest, and only that. Carney said under Trump's current framework Canada has almost free trade with the U.S. and that's something he wants to see continue. That's a reference to the tariff exemptions granted to Canadian goods that are compliant with the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA). At the outset of this trade war, the White House estimated some 62 per cent of Canadian exports were not compliant with the trade deal — some companies opted to pay very low duty rates rather than go along with the paperwork required for free access. A recent RBC report (new window) suggests compliance has improved since Trump slapped on tariffs and most goods are sold into the U.S. tariff-free. But Carney said Tuesday there are obviously problems with the U.S. sectoral tariffs that do apply universally to steel, aluminum, auto exports and the threatened ones on pharmaceuticals, lumber and copper. Those so-called Section 232 tariffs have been particularly damaging to the Canadian economy, leading to job losses and a drop in exports. Those tariffs take their name from the section of a U.S. trade law that allows the president to impose levies on certain goods that are said to threaten national security. We need to stabilize the situation for Canada, Carney said. The government has consistently stood up for Canadian workers and businesses throughout these negotiations. We'll continue to do so. I expect that discussions will intensify between now and the end of the month and we'll be working hard on that. Last week, Trump sent a letter to Carney saying he's moving to bump the existing 25 per cent border-related tariff rate on Canadian goods — the tariff that does not apply if a good is CUSMA-compliant — to 35 per cent by Aug. 1. A White House official told CBC News that the CUSMA compliance rule will still apply even if the elevated tariff rate is applied next month. Trump said it's a trade action designed to force Canada to crack down on fentanyl, even as U.S. government data suggests relatively very little of that drug is seized at the northern border (new window) . Push to dismantle drug trade Still, the federal government has budgeted more than $1 billion to better police the border for drugs and migrants and law enforcement across the country has been making seizures and arrests as part of a push to dismantle the drug trade. If Canada works with me to stop the flow of fentanyl, we will, perhaps, consider an adjustment to this letter, Trump said. Speaking to reporters on Monday, Trump said that the letters he's sent to Carney and others are what he sees as the deal with the respective countries. I watched a show this morning and they were talking about, 'Well when's he going to make the deal?' The deals are already made. The letters are the deals. The deals are made. There are no deals to make, Trump said. John Paul Tasker (new window) · CBC News · Senior reporter J.P. Tasker is a journalist in CBC's parliamentary bureau who reports for digital, radio and television. He is also a regular panellist on CBC News Network's Power & Politics. He covers the Conservative Party, Canada-U.S. relations, Crown-Indigenous affairs, health policy and the Senate. You can send story ideas and tips to J.P. at Follow J.P. on X (new window)
Winnipeg Free Press
an hour ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
CP NewsAlert: Canadians Seth Rogen and Martin Short earn acting Emmy nods
Canadian comics Seth Rogen and Martin Short will compete for the Emmy for best lead actor in a comedy series. Weekly A weekly look at what's happening in Winnipeg's arts and entertainment scene. Rogen was nominated for his role in 'The Studio,' which he created, wrote and directed, while Short is up for his role in 'Only Murders in the Building.' More coming.
Globe and Mail
2 hours ago
- Globe and Mail
Crypto Currents: Bitcoin surges past $123K, surpasses Amazon market cap
As bitcoin, ethereum and other cryptocurrencies see major institutional and regulatory developments, the lines between digital finance and traditional Wall Street continue to blur. Catch up on this week's top stories highlighting the accelerating maturation of the crypto industry with this recap compiled by The Fly.. Also, join us for your essential daily recap, every day at 2 PM ET on FlyCast radio. Elevate Your Investing Strategy: Take advantage of TipRanks Premium at 50% off! Unlock powerful investing tools, advanced data, and expert analyst insights to help you invest with confidence. Make smarter investment decisions with TipRanks' Smart Investor Picks, delivered to your inbox every week. BITCOIN HITS NEW ALL-TIME HIGH: In a historic weekend for the cryptocurrency market, bitcoin (BTC) shattered its previous records, surging past the $123,000 level in a powerful and sustained rally. The move was so significant that it pushed bitcoin's total market capitalization beyond that of tech and retail giant Amazon (AMZN), making it the world's fifth-largest asset by market cap. This milestone is being driven by a potent combination of factors. On one hand, institutional investors and macro analysts point to the rally as a fundamental hedge against persistent concerns over the U.S. national deficit. On the other, the breach of such a key psychological level has ignited broad excitement, signaling a new phase of price discovery for the leading digital asset. U.S. LAWMAKERS LAUNCH 'CRYPTO WEEK': A landmark week is underway in Washington D.C., as the U.S. House of Representatives has officially launched 'Crypto Week,' scheduling floor votes on three pivotal pieces of legislation. This represents the most concentrated legislative effort to date to establish a clear regulatory framework for the digital asset industry in the United States. The bills include the Financial Innovation and Technology for the 21st Century Act, or FIT21, which seeks to resolve the long-standing jurisdictional conflict between the SEC and CFTC. Also on the docket is a bill to regulate stablecoins, aiming to protect consumers by mandating one-to-one reserves. Finally, lawmakers will vote on the Anti-CBDC Surveillance State Act, a preventative measure to prohibit the Federal Reserve from issuing a central bank digital currency without explicit Congressional approval, addressing widespread privacy concerns. DEFI AND INSTITUTIONAL MILESTONES: The decentralized finance sector is celebrating a major achievement as lending protocol Aave (AAVE) became the first in its category to surpass $50B in net deposits. This milestone, representing the total value of assets supplied by users for lending minus what has been borrowed, signifies immense trust and maturity in the DeFi ecosystem. This growth is mirrored by ongoing institutional adoption. SharpLink Gaming (SBET), led by Ethereum co-founder Joseph Lubin, continued its strategic accumulation by adding nearly $49M in ethereum (ETH) to its corporate treasury. In a different type of institutional move, blockchain analysis firm Arkham observed the government of Bhutan transferring over $62M in bitcoin to the Binance exchange, a maneuver widely seen as a strategic profit-taking measure during the market's peak. CRYPTO ATM OPERATOR REPORTS DATA BREACH: Amid the bullish market news, a significant security incident serves as a critical reminder of the industry's ongoing challenges. Cryptocurrency ATM operator Bitcoin Depot reported a data breach that exposed the personal information of nearly 27,000 of its customers. According to security analysts, the compromised data includes sensitive details such as user names, email addresses, and transaction histories. This type of information is highly valued by malicious actors, who can use it to orchestrate sophisticated and targeted phishing attacks in an attempt to trick users into revealing more critical information like passwords or private keys.
