Canada and the UK are set to announce an enhanced multi-billion-dollar trade deal. Speaking at a Conservative Friends of Australia Zoom event, UK International Trade Secretary Liz Truss announced the news. In addition, Ms. Truss said, negotiations are ongoing between New Zealand and the UK, while a “deep trading relationship” is being discussed between Australia and Britain.
What is notable is that in the post-Brexit world, the UK is pivoting not just to the English-speaking world in general but to its CANZUK siblings in particular. CANZUK – standing for Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the UK – represents a long-overdue drive for closer ties between the four Commonwealth Realms.
It was a historic mistake for Britain to have turned its back on its Commonwealth siblings when it signed up to the European Common Market. In any other time, sharing a head of state and commander-in-chief – not to mention language, legal system, political system and cultural ties – would be seen as constituting some form of union.
At a time when geography has never mattered less (note the cost of shipping and ease of global communications) but trusted allies have never mattered more, CANZUK is the natural follow-on from Brexit, the decision of the UK to quit the European Union.
CANZUK is an idea whose moment has arrived. The Canadian leader of the opposition, a man likely to become Canada’s next prime minister – Erin O’Toole – is a noted CANZUK champion, while sympathetic noises have also been heard from the New Zealand prime minister Jacinda Ardern.
Meanwhile given hostile actors in the world, the increasing unwillingness and inability of the United States to unilaterally carry the Western alliance, and the incompetence and inability of the European Union to unify as a geopolitical force (or even an economic one), CANZUK is a much-needed addition to the bruised and battered Western alliance.
The comparatively small trade sums between the four Commonwealth Realms should alter dramatically in a post-Covid era where trusted traders are vital, while the small sums reflect the misguided British pivot towards Europe (which seems to be over), as well as an Antipodean-Canadian pivot to Asia, which also looks set to wane.
The UK can match its Old-World knowhow with the New-World dynamism of Australia, Canada and New Zealand with the strongest growth potential in terms of both population and economics.
At a stroke, CANZUK would represent the world’s largest polity and its third-largest economy, with unprecedented geopolitical reach and interoperability potential, augmenting the West at a time when many other actors seem to lack the ability or willingness to step up.
Opening up labour markets between the four should be a no-brainer, considering the comparable living standards (meaning one country is unlikely to see an exodus towards another), existing migration ties, a common language, and the ability to mutually recognize many qualifications and standards.
CANZUK is vital for all four countries’ interests (and yes, CANZUK could and should be widened to include all Commonwealth Realms). The time and conditions are right, while this is no time for strategic shrinkage.
For the UK, CANZUK is the natural follow-on from Brexit. For Australia, Canada and New Zealand, CANZUK is the chance to re-establish a bond that should never have been broken.
