<div class="Wj3C7c">"Canadian-Australian Relations"<br>
July.8/2014<br>
Prime Minister Jack Decker<br>
Prime Minister James McColl<br>
Australia/Canada<br>
<br>
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.<br>
<br>
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.<br>
<br>
"Morning James." Decker said with a smile as he extended his hand once again to his opposite number.<br>
<br>
"Ah, good morning Jack. Feeling better after a good sleep? Those long
flights are gruelling, and I can never sleep either..." McColl smiled.<br>
<br>
"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."<br>
<br>
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?"<br>
<br>
"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."<br>
<br>
"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."<br>
<br>
"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?"<br>
<br>
"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?"<br>
<br>
"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."<br>
<br>
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."<br>
<br>
"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?"<br>
<br>
"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."<br>
<br>
"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."<br>
<br>
"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."<br>
<br>
"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."<br>
<br>
"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.<br>
<br>
"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.<br>
<br>
"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."<br>
<br>
"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."<br>
<br>
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.<br>
<br>
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."<br>
<br>
"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?"<br>
<br>
</div>"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.<br>
<br>
--ACTIONS TAKEN—<br>
1. Australia-Canadian cooperation on green research and technology, and AIDS research<br>
2. Canadian assistance on Australia's development of an Asia-Pacific Regional Disaster Coordination Authority<br>
3. Discussions on the future of the Commonwealth of Nations.<br>
4. Canada volunteers to hold the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting later in the year