The Canada-United States relationship is at its lowest point in more than a century with the almost daily threats of President Donald Trump to ruin the Canadian economy and undermine the sovereignty of the country.
With the United States, losing its place of long data as a most reliable partner in Canada, the leaders of the country now cry out to revive ties with the countries of related ideas, especially historical allies such as Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom.
The defenders of a “Canzuk” alliance say that Canada’s political leaders should attack while iron is heat and immediately reinforcing commercial ties, pressing to integrate the military to improve mutual defense and pursue mobility rights so that citizens can move in an attempt to reduce the dependence of an increasingly bellyowed American in the United States.
Together, the four countries could be a formidable block with a combined GDP of approximately $ 6.5 billion and the third largest military force in the world, an association that could help them expel Trump’s political seizures, said James Skinner, the CEO of Canzuk International, a group that advocates the closer sins.
Skinner said that Trump’s tariff threats and the 51st state teasing are a “shameful” development that “has undoubtedly damaged the relationship and has caused a decrease.”
“But there is a positive side for all this. It gives Canada a golden opportunity to search somewhere and explore other ways with our closest allies abroad: Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom. We fight together in the wars, we share a common language, we have family ties that date back to decades and this looks like the ideal matching CBC.
“We need to make sure that we do not end again in this monopoly situation, where the United States holds all the letters and we have to accompany what President Trump says,” he said.
The former conservative leader Erin O’Toole, a defender for a long time of a Canzuk alliance, is also lending his name to the last impulse to integrate, asking for the freer trade, better security ties and the free circulation of people in the four countries.
“Why would you not want this? These are our closest friends and allies,” he said in an interview.
“With the United States, there should be a strong impulse to make Canzuk. The other good and democratic countries must intensify and fill the void.”
The Commonwealth and its member countries have been a last -moment idea in Canada for decades. Canada retired from Great Britain in the period after World War, especially after negotiating a free trade agreement with the United States in the 1980s.
And there have been some recent tension signs between English -speaking countries, all of which shared similar political and legal institutions and the same head of state: King Charles.
The United Kingdom interrupted bilateral trade negotiations with Canada last year after a dispute largely on cheese, even when Australia and the United Kingdom approached in the period after Brexit.
While the United Kingdom sought to take advantage of its own connections of the Commonwealth after retiring from the EU, Canada maintained a firm to sign a commercial agreement that would harm some farmers.
New Zealand is locked in a commercial dispute with Canada on dairy products, and is taking the country to the comprehensive and progressive trade agreement for the commercial court of the Transpacific Association (CPTPP) about what one of the leaders of that country called “a betrayal of friendship.” Australia is also accusing Canada of downloading low -price dairy products in world markets.
Canada was also out of a crucial defense pact between Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States
And Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, a regular characteristic in international summits, was absent from the most recent meeting of the Commonwealth government meeting in Samoa.
It is those tensions that give Andrew Percy Pause.
Percy, a former envoy and deputy of the British trade who recently moved to Vancouver to live and work after leaving politics, said it is obvious that the four countries join as a result of Trump’s decision to effectively torpedo the long western alliance.
“It simply makes a lot of sense but, as with everything, the devil is in the details,” he said in an interview.
Canada says he is a free merchant, but that he throws non -tariff commercial barriers, especially around agricultural products, and also the other countries, said Percy.
“Canada is talking about a good game about the diversification of more, but Canada has been dragging its heels,” said Percy, pointing out Canada’s reluctance to support the adhesion of the United Kingdom to the CPTPP, effectively hindering free trade.
“We are all massive hypocrites. So, Canzuk, everything is very pleasant as a concept, but how do we all, with these competitive interests and different political persuasions, sit and reach an agreement? Is a great question: there is much to know that we would all have to sacrifice,” he said.
But Canada’s leaders show signs that they are willing to try.
Only in the last month, Canada’s position has changed as it tries to revive friendships now that their relationship with the United States has checked.
The Minister of International Trade, Mary NG, has just direct a great team from the commercial mission of Canada to Australia. “Our association, based on the shared Commonwealth heritage and democratic values, is thriving,” he said after meetings in the country.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mélanie Joly, was in the United Kingdom this week to reinforce relations with her British counterpart and present a united front while Trump retires from the protection of Ukraine.
“More than ever we must be close to the United Kingdom,” Joly told journalists on Monday after his trip.
Great news! Team Canada will face Australia! 🇨🇦🤝🇦🇺
We are bringing our biggest commercial mission to Australia with more than 220 delegates from the 10 provinces! pic.twitter.com/rgbsqrljmb
Trudeau has been talking on the phone with Keir Starmer, the British prime minister, twice in the last three weeks.
According to a reading of one of the calls released by the Trudeau office, the two leaders “discussed the importance of working together to promote economic security and stability.”
And the two “committed to renewing efforts to advance bilateral trade.”
It is not just the people who are already in the government who see an opportunity for Canada to step back from the United States and embrace the cousins of the Commonwealth.
A Mark Carney spokesman, who served as the governor of the Bank of England after having the same job here, told CBC News that hopeful liberal leadership believes that it is imperative to approach the United Kingdom and the other countries of the Commonwealth.
In a demonstration in southern Ontario last week, Carney said that Canada was “friend of our neighbors. Now they are only our neighbors. We will find new friends … we are going to diversify our commercial associations in Europe, the United Kingdom”
In the liberal leadership debate stage on Monday, Carney said that Canada needs to approach countries such as the United Kingdom that “share our values.”
Another liberal leadership contender, Frank Baylis, wants to go to everyone in Canzuk. “I am proposing a completely new economic bloc,” he said.
When asked about the support of a Canzuk alliance, a spokesman for conservative leader Pierre Poilievre told CBC News that a government directed by him will also prioritize “greater cooperation with allies of related ideas” after the liberals left Canada “poor, weak and defenseless and dependent on the Americans.”
“Common sense conservatives support diversification,” said the spokesman.
The members of the Liberal and Conservative Party are ahead of their leaders: delegates in the most recent political conventions of the parties supported some form of a Canzuk alliance long before Trump returned for a second round in the White House.
O’Toole, the former conservative leader, said that Canzuk was one of the most popular policies he launched during his decade in federal politics, especially among young people.
He said that Canada should take the lead in the initiative and launch a secretariat to start the work of knocking down barriers.
“There is a will, and there is popular support, in each of the four countries, he said.” You just need to have some leadership to do it. The more we do together, the more positive it is for the world. “
