Carney in Australia to Strengthen Trade and Defense Bonds with a 'Natural Alliance'
SYDNEY — Prime Minister Mark Carney is in Australia, where he will hold his first news conference in two weeks. The prime minister arrived in Sydney on Tuesday, local time, which was Monday evening in Canada.
Carney's visit is part of his government's strategy to enhance already strong intelligence ties through broader collaboration in trade and defense. This relationship is a cornerstone of Canada's foreign policy, built on years of cooperation, according to Defence Minister David McGuinty, who is accompanying Carney in Sydney.
McGuinty highlighted two key areas of focus: a deeper economic connection and defense and security. He noted a new openness in Australia to working with Canada, emphasizing the prime minister's message that middle powers can collaborate effectively on economic, defense, and security matters.
Despite the absence of a scheduled news conference with journalists, Carney's silence is notable. It comes amidst growing concerns about transnational repression by India and the aftermath of American strikes in Iran, which have sparked a multi-country conflict. Carney's office canceled a press conference in India after his meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and declined to make him available for questions on Tuesday.
Carney's itinerary includes a media availability in Sydney on Wednesday morning, local time, followed by a speech at the Australian Parliament in Canberra on Thursday. He will then travel to Tokyo.
The prime minister will meet with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who has been in power since 2022. Both countries are Commonwealth nations and members of the Five Eyes intelligence-sharing alliance, along with the U.S., U.K., and New Zealand. According to Asia Pacific Foundation vice-president Vina Nadjibulla, Australia is a natural partner for Canada in the Indo-Pacific.
Both nations are commodity exporters, and Nadjibulla noted that Beijing has historically swapped imports between the two countries during diplomatic tensions. Australia has been the leading source of foreign direct investment in both directions for Canada, particularly for Canadian pension funds, among Indo-Pacific nations. Additionally, Australia has signed on to Canadian initiatives to secure critical mineral supply chains and reduce dependence on China.
At the G20 summit in South Africa last November, Carney launched a partnership on emerging technologies with India and Australia, though the details of this partnership remain undisclosed. Ottawa and Canberra signed an agreement for Canada to purchase an Australian over-the-horizon radar system for use in the Arctic, which could be expanded through defense-industrial projects in cybersecurity and quantum technology.
Carney's visit also coincides with his efforts to engage the European Union in a partnership with the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), a significant trade bloc that includes Australia. Canada is a member of the CPTPP and has a trade agreement with the EU, aiming to bypass the trade disruptions caused by Beijing and Washington at the World Trade Organization.
Nadjibulla emphasized the importance of this smaller coalition of countries committed to rules-based trade and values, especially in the absence of a comprehensive multilateral framework. She noted that while Australia has faced challenges with the U.S. under President Donald Trump, Canada remains more integrated into the American economy due to its proximity.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published on March 3, 2026, with contributions from Dylan Robertson in Ottawa.
