[War] Canada: "Canadian-Australian Relations"

[Dylan de Valk]

"Canadian-Australian Relations"
July.8/2014
Prime Minister Jack Decker
Prime Minister James McColl
Australia/Canada

Decker had risen early and had a long shower. The previous day had been
enjoyable. Jack and Lisa had done a bit of touristy stuff, and called in at
the headquarters of the RCMP, where Decker had delivered a slab of
Australian beer to the men and women who'd led the investigation prior to
the terrorist attacks. Though most of them were stationed in Toronto, the
unit head plus three others had happened to be in Ottawa at the time.

It was ten in the morning when Decker and his staff arrived at the office of
the Canadian Prime Minister. Decker stepped out, and a Prime Ministerial
aide met them and led them to McColl's office.

"Morning James." Decker said with a smile as he extended his hand once again
to his opposite number.

"Ah, good morning Jack.  Feeling better after a good sleep?  Those long
flights are gruelling, and I can never sleep either..." McColl smiled.

"I manage." Decker said with a smile. "Spent a lot of time on planes when I
was working for the Department of Foreign Affairs. It's a toss up, you know?
Take a ship and it takes time, but you're not racing across time zones. Take
a plane and you get there faster, but it screws you over."

They both chuckled.  "Yep.  So, down to business shall we?"  McColl said.
 "I know that under Rudd oz was looking at its relationship with Asia.  How
would you like to start expanding trade to Canada?  Namely in green
technology and research.  Would your government be interested in joint
research into fusion and tidal sources of energy?  I have a lot of
scientists in this country anxiously hoping for a way to get in on fusion
research.  Perhaps we could establish a panel of scientists and expert and
work towards building a prototype.  What's the situation like for you?"

"I'm up for trading and working with any nation. I think we have a lot in
common, and we should work on our relationship." Decker said with a nod. "I
think cooperation on energies is a good way to start. Tidal power would be
of great advantage to us, being an island nation. Fusion energy becomes a
tricky issue though. Australia's had a recent history of debate over nuclear
energy, I'd have to take the idea away and work on it for a while."

"The thing with fusion energy is that it is different from other forms,
namely, fission.  Right now, it is really in the experimental and research
form.  If I were to guess when the first fusion energy plant comes online,
it would be 20 years.  That's if people can get it to work.  However, the
offer is there if you ever want to take it up.  Same with fission.  If
Australia ever decides it wants to develop nuclear energy, we'd be more than
happy to help."

"Well, I'm sure there'd be plenty of academics and scientists in Australia
who'd love to pop overseas for some R&D opportunities like this one." Decker
said with a nod. "I'll be sure to mention it to some people, little in this
world is discovered by accident, right?"

"That's probably a pretty safe assessment, at least in the modern world."
 McColl took a slug from his nalgene bottle.  "Our respective agencies will
be in touch, I'm sure.  Was there anything you had on your agenda?"

"Well, as I mentioned on the ride into Ottawa yesterday, I'd love to have a
few of your senior DART people, or some former DART people, to come over for
some advice on our Regional Disaster Co-ordination Authority that we want to
put together for the Asia-Pacific."

McColl looked thoughtful.  "Right, right.  Well I'm sure we can arrange that
easily.  I'll have my staff get a team together to liaise with your
government.  They could be based in Canberra or wherever your agency is
based.  As well, get some of your people stationed here so we can
coordinate.  I think that's an excellent idea."

"Sounds great. When the Authority takes off it'll probably be based out of
Darwin, I'd imagine, or Townsville. Somewhere up north, closer to the likely
disaster areas. It's still a work in progress, Australia doesn't really have
anything like DART or FEMA, most of the time it's left to the states, and a
lot of the time they're volunteers." Decker said. "Anything Australia can do
for Canada?"

"You know, not for Canada." McColl frowned.   "I had in mind something a
little bit different.  For many years now, the Commonwealth has become
increasingly marginalized.  After WWII, the UK pretty much just dumped all
of us, as it no longer had the strength or will to maintain its empire.
 Maybe the Commonwealth needs to go?  Or maybe we could keep it?  I don't
know on that regard.  In its stead we could create a new group or forum of
the UK and what were the old dominions, and are now Oz, NZ, Canada, South
Africa, and India.  In my view anyways, the other countries don't really
matter that much in the scheme of things.  They're all either Chinese or US
puppets and/or economically and politically insignificant.  Obviously, this
is just an idea that can be moulded as needed."

"I know what you mean." Decker said firmly. "I mean, we're up for a
Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting this year and no one's put their
hand up yet to say they'll have it. Getting rid of the Commonwealth isn't
our call, that's the Queens. But I disagree about the other nations not
really mattering. If we have global groups like the UN, the Commonwealth,
the European Union, whatever, surely we should use them to help these
'economically and politically insignificant' countries. Free Trade is well
and good for us, but it's screwing Africa and the Third World unless it's
curbed the right way."

"I do see what you mean.  Yes..."  McColl mused for a second.  "Well, I'll
volunteer to have the Commonwealth meeting here if you do next year.  You're
just as guilty as I am by the way."  He chuckled, and then became serious.
 "Oz has already worked to reform the humanitarian services branch of the
Commonwealth have you not?  Perhaps we could take leadership roles in other
things as well."

"Sure, Australia will hold the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in
two years, provided there's a point. I don't know what other areas we can
lead in, it's not like we need the Commonwealth to be a security
relationship, we've got those cropping up left right and centre. I think the
most worthwhile thing that the Commonwealth could do right now is work
towards bringing it's members up to a more acceptable standard of living. To
me, that would be working on a trade arrangement that's fair, and also
helping with aid and construction."

"Indeed so.  Let us begin by publicly pledging more aid to the afflicted
countries for food, medical supplies, and construction of basic
infrastructure then."  McColl smiled.  "However, I'm not sure on the free
trade.  I'll have people look into that, and if I like what I see, we can
coordinate on that front.

"Soon, I will also be publicly announcing a new research facility dedicated
to certain diseases like AIDS and other menaces to people.  I think it would
be great if scientists from Oz could come on exchanges to work at the
facility.  Likewise, Canadian scientists could go to Oz for research
opportunities.  What do you think?"  he took another slug from the water
bottle.

"Yeah, that sounds good to me too." Decker said with a nod. "As to the free
trade, well, in an ideal world it would be fair trade, but we're national
leaders, we have constituents that we have to represent. In my country,
we're thinking of rebates for companies that buy base products from third
world nations, things like that."

"Mmm' yes.  Free trade can be good and bad, and one side will always do
better than the other.  That's just the nature of the system at this time."

They spoke for another fifteen minutes. They spoke only briefly about Iran,
their respective military leaders and defence officials were speaking at the
same time. The action was just kicking off.

Decker finally rose from where he was seated. "Well, thanks James, it's
certainly been a fruitful meeting I'd say. Lots of things to follow up."

"For sure.  I'm really glad you came for the visit Jack; it certainly has
been fruitful."  McColl smiled as they shook hands again.  "We'll keep in
touch I hope?"

"Of course. What with Iran, and the other things we've spoken about today,
I'm sure to be in touch." With that, Decker was guided out of the PM's
office, and towards the entrance.

--ACTIONS TAKEN—
1. Australia-Canadian cooperation on green research and technology, and AIDS
research
2. Canadian assistance on Australia's development of an Asia-Pacific
Regional Disaster Coordination Authority
3. Discussions on the future of the Commonwealth of Nations.
4. Canada volunteers to hold the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting
later in the year
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