Leading Think Tanks Endorse CANZUK Campaign

Leading Think Tanks across Australia and the UK have openly endorsed CANZUK International’s campaign for free movement and trade between Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom.

The UK-based Adam Smith Institute published a report in August entitled “A Ripper Deal”, stating that a free trade agreement between Australia and the UK would “provide the foundation for an ambitious wider CANZUK agreement involving the commonwealth countries of Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and the UK” and quoting a 2018 poll from CANZUK International indicating majority support for free movement in each of the four nations.

The report was also supported and written by Australian Senator James Paterson, who has long advocated for closer ties between the four countries.

“The UK-Australia relationship should be modelled on the Australia-New Zealand agreements: the Closer Economic Relations (CER) agreement that provides a deep economic relationship through mutual recognition and the Trans-Tasman Travel Arrangement (TTTA) that provides the ability to work, live and study across countries,” the report stated.

The Australian Taxpayers Alliance, based in New South Wales, also endorsed the report, supporting the deal as a stepping stone to a CANZUK agreement that can be implemented upon the conclusion of the UK’s transition period with the European Union.

“I am encouraged to see our nation move toward strong trade relationships with a nation we trust instead of sinking into problematic protectionism,” said ATA Policy Director, Emilie Dye. “We should take the agreement a step further and incorporate Canada. The more free trade we have with our allies, the more the Australian people will benefit.”

Both endorsements compliment a report issued by the UK-based Henry Jackson Society in 2019 entitled “Global Britain: A Twenty-First Century Vision” where senior MPs and UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson stated that the Trans-Tasman Travel Agreement between Australia and New Zealand should serve as the model for a wider CANZUK free movement area.

CANZUK International will continue to work with Think Tanks across Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom and seek further endorsements for free movement, trade and foreign policy between the four countries.