Economic Leadership Forum

“A sense of familiarity yet distance was noted by the first Canadian politician to visit Australia, Sir Mackenzie Bowell, a Conservative from Ontario, like me, and Canada’s first minister of trade and commerce. He first visited here in 1893, to open trade routes between Canada and Australia.

“When he returned to Canada, he lamented that although our countries shared a similar heritage, it would be difficult to build a shared future of prosperity. Looking around this room tonight, in 2014, we’ve clearly come a long way since then.”

– Hon. John Baird, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Canada, opening remarks of the 2014 Australian-Canadian Economic Leadership Forum

Canada Down Under traveled to the 2014 Australian-Canadian Economic Leadership Forum, held in Melbourne, and spoke with several key guests to learn more about this complex and beneficial bilateral relationship.

Jeffrey Simpson of the Globe and Mail

Yuen Pao Woo of the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada

Mark Barranechea of OpenText, a successful technology start-up

Marc Mayer of the National Gallery of Canada

Thomas Kloet of TMX Limited

Heather Ridout, of AustralianSuper

To learn more, visit: www.auscanforum.com/