Canadian PM Mark Carney offers to team up with Australia as ‘strategic cousins’ to push back against dominant superpowers | Mark Carney

Prime Minister Mark Carney told federal parliament that Canada and Australia would be stronger by negotiating alongside superpowers that act as “strategic cousins” rather than rivals, including Donald Trump’s America.

In a major speech in Canberra on the last full day of his visit to Australia, Carney called for improved cooperation in critical minerals, defense and trade, and announced that Australia would join the G7 critical minerals alliance, the largest group of democratic countries with large reserves in the world.

Carney also said he came to Australia to reaffirm the alliance between Ottawa and Canberra at a time when “the global architecture is collapsing from successive crises”.

Canada and Australia together produce 34% of global lithium stocks, 32% of uranium supply and 41% of iron ore.

“In the ancient world, and even to some extent today, there was a tendency to see ourselves as competitors,” he said after being welcomed into a ceremony Thursday morning.

“We must be strategic collaborators in this new world. To increase investments, accelerate technical cooperation, increase supply chain flexibility, expand our domestic processing capabilities, and at the same time increase our strategic autonomy.”

In a speech at the Lowy Institute in Sydney on Wednesday night, Carney softened his support for US and Israeli attacks on Iran. He said he welcomed the end of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s regime but did not believe the attacks on Iran were legal and that they represented “another example of the failure of the international order.”

Carney said the US and Israeli attacks appeared illegal because they were not carried out with the support of the UN Security Council or in the face of an imminent threat.

“We were not consulted about the action taken,” he said. “There was no broader process for this. At first glance, this seemed inconsistent with international law.”

Carney has won praise around the world for promoting renewed middle power diplomacy, making time for an international rules-based order and encouraging countries including Australia, Japan, India, South Korea and Canada to come together to preserve institutions and advance mutual interests.

His speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos in January was seen as the strongest response to the Trump administration and other superpowers, including China; He called on countries not to mourn the post-World War II international structure for too long and instead focus on preserving and strengthening national sovereignty.

He said Thursday that Canada and Australia are right to develop defense capabilities, including next-generation drones, surveillance aircraft and cyber and artificial intelligence tools.

As members of the international coalition eagerly planning for peace in Ukraine, Carney said countries will need to “provide robust security guarantees” to stop conflict in Europe after the war sparked by Russia’s invasion ends.

“We also know that we need to work with other middle powers to advance our dominant AI capabilities so that we are not caught between the hyperscalers and the hegemons,” Carney said.

“This is why Canada is collaborating with like-minded countries in Europe, and why we are partnering with Australia and India on a trilateral AI initiative to strengthen our cooperation and sovereign capacity.”

Australia has maintained its strong support for attacks on Iran, which have led to a growing conflict in the Middle East, disruption to the economy and chaos in international travel.

Albanese and foreign minister Penny Wong argue that international law regarding the attacks poses a problem for the United States and Israel.

Carney will hold talks with governor-general Sam Mostyn and opposition leader Angus Taylor in Canberra. He will also hold a joint press conference with Albanese later on Thursday.

He said Canada and Australia “are both countries still under construction.”

“The important work of reconciliation with Indigenous peoples continues. We continue to strive for equal opportunities for everyone, regardless of gender, race, sexual orientation or starting point in life.

“This work is not a sign of weakness; rather, it is the product of a confidence that honestly admits when we fail and strives tirelessly to do better.”