Wednesday March 4, 2026 | CANBERRA, AUSTRALIA
by Mary P Brooke | Island Social Trends [VICTORIA, BC]
Prime Minister Mark Carney has spent a couple of day in Australia as part of his three-country trade mission in the Asia-Pacific region.
He had a full itinerary yesterday and today (March 4 and 5 Australian local time), with four of the highlights listed below.
Speech to the Lowry Institute (March 4) – Carney covered the extremes of the Iranian government including the deaths of Canadians and not halted its uranium enrichment activities. “Iran is a serial breaker of international law,” said Carney.
“We are actively taking on the world as it is.” He noted that US and Israel engaged Iran without engaging the UN; he said that Canada is prepared to be assisting in the goal of reducing conflict in the middle east, an approach with like-minded countries on the continent. He repeated about ‘economic rupture’ as a “clear break from the past”. “The requirements for sovereignty have evolved.”.
Carney emphasized the importance of having a handle on AI, providing stability for financial systems, protecting public health, and more. Building true sovereignty. requires diversification and partnership. Just having bilateral agreement is not sovereignty. it is the performance of sovereignty, he said in a pitch for “collective sovereignty”. Building out a critical mineral alliance with Australia is part of the goal of this trip, he told the room.
Carney noted that Canada’s national defence involves the Arctic, cyberspace and outer space.
Met with the Australian cabinet (March 5) –
Today, the Prime Minister, Mark Carney, met with the Prime Minister of Australia, Anthony Albanese, in Canberra, during his first official visit to Australia.
The leaders reaffirmed the strong bilateral relationship between Canada and Australia, and identified key sectors to expand trade and cooperation, including in energy, critical minerals, defence, and artificial intelligence.
They welcomed growing collaboration between Canadian pension funds and Australian superannuation funds – supporting Canada’s mission to unleash $1 trillion in investment over the next five years. They also highlighted progress toward modernising the Canada-Australia Tax Treaty and announced new formalised ministerial level economic talks that will deepen collaboration on investment, regulatory alignment, and economic security. The leaders discussed facilitating joint investment in nation-building projects. Prime Minister Carney extended an invite to the Australian superannuation funds to visit Canada this year to advance these efforts.
Prime Minister Carney and Prime Minister Albanese reaffirmed their commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific. They agreed to strengthen defence and security cooperation to promote stability, security, and prosperity across the region and in both countries, including through a regular Defence Ministers’ Meeting and enhanced senior officials’ dialogue to advance practical collaboration.
The prime ministers underscored the value of closer institutional ties and regular high-level engagement to bolster the bilateral relationship and accelerate shared strategic, economic, and security objectives.
Address to the Australian parliament (March 5) –
Carney addressed the Australian House of Representatives including President, members, senators and guests.
He opened his remarks with thanking Australian firefighters for helping out in Canada (an exchange program). He called the Parliament “once of the world’s great chambers of democracy and a testament to our shared commonwealth heritage”.
After some remarks in French, he continued. He noted how far Canada and Australia are apart in terms of geography but he described Canada and Australia as “strategic cousins” who share “a common perspective” and “can build together a common future”, articulating as “the True North and the Land Down Under, navigating with the same values”.
“What makes our relationship rare is that is was not built by geography or by great power design, it was chosen repeatedly over centuries,” said Carney, referring to battles in the European world wars, and in Korea and Afghanistan. “Canadians and Australians have stood by each other when the hour was darkest and victory most in doubt,” said Carney, adding that the two countries believe that “people everywhere deserve to live freely”.
Canada and Australia were together for the development of the G20, the Trans Pacific Partnership and the setting of standards of trade, finance and security, said Carney, a system that “narrowed the gaps between rich and poor across the world”. But that global architecture is now breaking down, said Carney, referring back to themes of his speech to the World Economic Forum in Switzerland in January.
Carney said he seeks to reaffirm the Canada-Australia alliance and “suggest where it can go next”: more prosperous, more resilient and more just.
Presser with both prime ministers (March 5) –
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese took media questions at a joint press conference, and issued a 26-point joint statement.
The joint statement acknowledged “the challenges facing Australia and Canada in a deteriorating geostrategic environment”.
Details of the Canada-Australia joint statement are presented in four sections:
- Advancing economic security and prosperity
- Strengthening mutual interests in critical minerals
- Deepening defence and security cooperation
- Strengthening institutions, building resilient communities.
===== RELATED:
- Carney’s trade mission in Australia: speeches & gains (March 4, 2026)
- Canada seeks more ambitious trade partnership with India (March 1, 2026)
- Carney’s next trade mission: India, Australia and Japan (February 23, 2026)
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