New Zealand–Canada relations

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This article or section needs copy editing for grammar, style, cohesion, tone or spelling. You can assist by editing it now. A how-to guide is available. (March 2008)

New Zealand-Canada relations

New Zealand	Canada

Helen Clark, Prime Minister of New Zealand.

Stephen Harper, Prime Minister of Canada.

New Zealand-Canada relations refers to international relations between New Zealand and Canada. New Zealand and Canada have a close and longstanding relationship that has been fostered by both countries' close history and culture, by extremely close ties to the Commonwealth of Nations and extensive links to people in either country. The two countries are related in a personal union as a result of having a common Head of State, currently Queen Elizabeth II. Canada has said that New Zealand is a valuable international partner despite the thousands of miles separating the two countries^{[citation needed]}. Both share a like-minded view of the world on a variety of issues. New Zealand and Canada have close links whether it be through business or trade relations, the United Nations, the Commonwealth or mutual treaty agreements, New Zealand-Canada relations are extremely important to both countries^{[dubious – discuss]}.

New Zealand is a committed international player that seeks to promote its interests overseas and contribute to a stable, peaceful and prosperous world. A founding member of the United Nations, New Zealand is dedicated to the principles of multilateralism and the rule of international law. It is a strong advocate of trade liberalisation and participates actively in international negotiations on many issues, including environmental protection, disarmament, good governance and human rights. These views are as equally important to Canada as they are to New Zealand and have helped to shape the esteemed relationship between the countries.^{[citation needed]}

The United States is a major trading partner and a key source of investment capital and technology. New Zealand retains close economic and social ties with the United Kingdom. This further solidifies the bonds of New Zealand and Canada. ^[1]

[edit] Political similarities

Naturally, as part of the Commonwealth both countries share the Westminister system,however, there are other similarities. Both countries have significant political and demographic similarities. In both countries the majority is descended from British settlers, but both have significant populations of indigenous and non-British people: the Maori in New Zealand and the Québécois and First Nations in Canada. Both countries have complex relations with larger neighbors: Australia for New Zealand, and the United States for Canada.

Party politics in New Zealand are fought between the center-left Labour Party, the center-right National Party and several smaller parties. In Canada the main combatants are the Conservatives, Liberals, the leftist New Democratic Party and the separatist Bloc Québécois. The economic policies of New Zealand Roger Douglas were partially an inspiration for government cutbacks advocated by Canadian leaders such as Ralph Klein, Mike Harris, and Paul Martin. However, the current governments of the two countries are not in alignment, as Stephen Harper's Conservatives are fiscally pro free-market and socially conservative while the currently Labour government is much farther to the left.

[edit] Millitary alliances

Main articles: Military history of New Zealand and Military history of Canada

New Zealand and Canada have fought together in the Second Boer War, World War I, World War II, the Korean War, the Malayan Emergency, the Gulf War and the Afghanistan War. Both countries refused to participate in Iraq War even though other major Anglosphere countries like the United States, United Kingdom, and Australia were involved in that conflict. As of 2008, New Zealand and Canadian forces are still active in Afghanistan.

[edit] Cooperation between military forces

New Zealand and Canada enjoy a close and genial defence relationship. Historically, their two armed forces have worked alongside each other in a number of international security operations. Recent defence operations include strategic actions in Timor Leste, Bosnia and Afghanistan, training exercises and staff exchanges.

These positive and longstanding defence links with Canada and New Zealand are enhanced by the regular purchase of new military equipment from either country, e.g New Zealand's purchase of 105 Light Armoured vehicles (LAV IIIs) from Canada. ^[2]

[edit] Wars fought together

[edit] Alliance during World War II

Main articles: Military history of Canada during the Second World War and Military history of New Zealand during World War II

United Nations propaganda poster showing both the New Zealander and Canadian flag as allied forces in World War II.

As part of their ongoing participation in the British Commonwealth, both Dominions were expected to aid Britain when she declared war on Germany. However, since the Statute of Westminster they had both won the power to declare war independently of Britain. Politically, New Zealand had been a vocal opponent of European fascism and also the appeasement of those dictatorships. At the beginning of the war, Canada was (for the most part) reluctant to return to war. Nonetheless, both countries entered the war as Allies: New Zealand declared war on Nazi Germany at 9.30 pm September 3, 1939 (NZT); Canada on September 10, 1939. However, the two countries' armies only occasionally fought together. Canada's main effort encompassed major campaigns in Italy^[3] and Northern Europe.^[4] Meanwhile the New Zealanders mainly fought in Greece, Crete, and Italy.

[edit] Post-World War II

During the Cold War both countries were firmly in the Western bloc but did not agree on every use of military force. For example, both fought in the Korean War however, New Zealand was a combatant in Vietnam while Canada was part of an international observer mission and did not fight. Both contries have been frequent contributors to U.N. peacekeeping peacemaking and police operations. Both countries contrubuted symbolic assistance to coalition forces in the Gulf War where Canada participated in some bombing missions.

[edit] Korean War 1950–1953

Main article: New Zealand in the Korean War

Further information: British Commonwealth Forces Korea

New Zealand and Canada were among those states that responded to the United Nations call for help. New Zealand joined 15 other nations including Canada, the United Kingdom and the United States in the anti-communist war. But the Korean War was also significant, as it fastened New Zealand's military and dimplomatic co-operation in supporting Canada and the United States in conflict.

The British Commonwealth Forces Korea was a joint effort between allied Commonwealth forces, namely Britain, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.^[5]

Canada sent 26,791 troops to fight in Korea. There were 1,558 Canadian casualties, including 516 dead. Korea has often been described as "The Forgotten War", because for most Canadians it is overshadowed by the Canadian contributions to the two world wars. Canada is a signatory to the original 1953 armistice, but did not keep a garrison in South Korea after 1955.

New Zealand contributed six frigates, several smaller craft and a 1044 strong volunteer force (known as K-FORCE) to the Korean War. The ships were under the command of a British flag officer and formed part of the US Navy screening force during the Battle of Inchon, performing shore raids and inland bombardment. New Zealand troops remained in Korea in significant numbers for four years after the 1951 armistice, although the last New Zealand soldiers did not leave until 1957 and a single liaison officer remained until 1971. A total of 3,794 New Zealand soldiers served in K-FORCE and 1300 in the Navy deployment. 33 were killed in action, 79 wounded and one soldier was taken prisoner. That prisoner was held in North Korea for eighteen months and repatriated after the armistices.

[edit] Afghanistan (2001–2005)

Main article: Operation Enduring Freedom

Further information: NZ SAS

New Zealand and Canada's heaviest joint military involvement in the Middle East in recent decades has been in Afghanistan following the United States-led invasion of that country after the September 11, 2001 attacks. Fifty Special Air Service of New Zealand (SAS) units were dispatched, and in March 2002 they took part in Operation Anaconda alongside Canadian forces against about 500 to 1000 al-Qaeda and Taliban forces in the Shahi-Kot Valley and Arma Mountains southeast of Zorma, Afghanistan. New Zealand has also supplied two transport aircraft and a 122-strong tri-service Provincial Reconstruction Team, which has been located in Bamyan Province since 2003.

[edit] Operation Anaconda

Main article: Operation Anaconda

The operation was composed of elements of the United States 10th Mountain Division, 101st Airborne Division, the US special forces groups TF 11, TF Bowie, and TF Dagger, British Royal Marines, Canada's 3rd Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, the Afghan National Army, the German KSK, and elements of the Australian Special Air Service Regiment and of the New Zealand Special Air Service.

This was one of the first major NZ-Canada joint operations of the War in Afghanistan and proved to be a very successful partnership between the nations military forces.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Trade and investment

Toronto, the most populous city in Canada.

Auckland, the most populous city in New Zealand.

New Zealand and Canada have established a very prosperous business investment program that connects New Zealand and Canadian business. The Canadian and New Zealand Consulates offer advice to Kiwi businesses interested in forming partnerships with Canada, investing in Canada, or setting up a business in Canada. In the same way they help to connect Canadian business people who wish to sell their goods and services to New Zealand with potential local partners, and assist Canadian companies looking to invest in New Zealand. ^[6]

There is mass trade between Canada and New Zealand that have proved very reliable to both countries making it an important and stable base for a long-lasting relationship. New Zealand exports over $530 million worth of goods and services to Canada, while Canada imports over $450 million worth from New Zealand.

• Canada's main exports to New Zealand included aircraft, electrical equipment, machinery and fertilizers for 2006.
• Canada's leading imports from New Zealand include meat, dairy products, agricultural machinery and wine.
• New Zealand offers many opportunities for Canadian companies, particularly in energy, extractive industries, telecommunications and food products. ^[7]

Auckland Airport International Terminal, Auckland, New Zealand.

• Canada was New Zealand's 12th largest export destination and 14th largest trading partner in the year ended December 2006 with exports of NZ$553 million.
• There are significant Canadian investments in New Zealand, particularly CanWest, McCains and communications company Stratos Global Corporation. New Zealand companies in Canada include Tait Electronics, Michael Hill Jewellers, Peace Software and Glidepath.

[edit] Auckland Airport CPPIB buyout

There had some debate in the New Zealand Government about a Canadian pension fund trying to buy a 40% stake in Auckland Airport, a strategic asset for the government, the Labour Party had been trying block the sale by passing new laws that prevent foreign acquisitions of New Zealand "strategic assets". It was announced on April 11 2007 that the CPPIB had given up on its bid of Auckland Airport after many attempts by the New Zealand government to restrict foreign investment in New Zealand. The Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB) said it was "disappointed in the outcome of its Overseas Investment Act application" ^{[8] [9]}

[edit] Air services

There is a Canada/New Zealand Air Transport Agreement, which was signed in 1985. In November 2007 Air New Zealand began a direct service between Auckland and Vancouver, this service operates three times a week. Both Air New Zealand and Air Canada are members of the Star Alliance and both airlines currently operate via Hawaii and have code sharing arrangements on this route.

[edit] Film and television

UKUSA Community
Australia Prime Minister Kevin Rudd  Canada Prime Minister Stephen Harper  New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark  United Kingdom Prime Minister Gordon Brown  United States President George W. Bush

The 1987 Agreement on Film and Video Relations between the two countries has been successful, and film and television co-operation has been growing, with particular interest in indigenous film linkages and co-productions. There is a recent but ongoing pattern of producers’ missions between Canada, New Zealand and Australia. Whale Rider won then People's Choice Award at the Toronto Film Festival in 2002, and nine out of the ten top grossing centres in North America for New Zealand films' Lord of the Rings were in Canada.

One of New Zealand's leading television channels, TV3, was, until 2007, owned by Canadian Media Conglomerate CanWest.

Anna Helene Paquin is an Academy Award-winning, as well as Emmy- and Golden Globe-nominated, Canadian-New Zealander actress.

[edit] New Zealand, Canada and the UKUSA Community

New Zealand & Canada are both exclusive members of a collection of five countries who participate in the highly secretive ECHELON program. New Zealand has two (known) listening posts run by the Government Communications Security Bureau (GCSB) as part of the ECHELON spy network. New Zealand has benefited from its role in the ECHELON communications interception network, which also includes the U.S., Australia, Britain and Canada or the UKUSA Community. The partnership gives "a direct line into the inner circles of power in London and Washington".^[10]

The Waihopai Valley Facility - Base of the New Zealand branch of the ECHELON Program.

New Zealand's role in the program is based at a listening post in the South Island of New Zealand at Waihopai Valley just south-west of Blenheim. Its primary role is the interception of a large volume of satellite phone calls, telexes, faxes, e-mail and computer data communications. It gathers this data from New Zealand's Asia/Pacific neighbours, and forwards it on to the major partners in the UKUSA Agreement, including the US National Security Agency.^[11] Few details of the facility are known, but it is believed that it intercepts and processes all phone calls, faxes, e-mail and computer data communications.^[12] It gathers this data from New Zealand's and Asia/Pacific neighbours, and forwards it to the UKUSA consortium's distinguished customers, including the United States Department of Homeland Security.^[13]

The Waihopai station is a sister operation to a similar facility run at Tangimoana.^[14]

This gives New Zealand a distinct partnership with Canada not just on economic policies but domestic security agreements and operations as well, and is a familiar platform for further deals involving both countries.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] UKUSA military exercises

     International Participant organizations      US State Participants      US Private Sector Particiapnts      US Federal Participants

Map showing the Strategic Alliance Cyber Crime Working Group member countries and lead agencies

The UKUSA community allows member countries to cooperate in multilateral military exercises, more recently focussing on terrorism after 9/11. On March 10, 2008 (NZT) New Zealand, Canada, Australia, the United States and the United Kingdom took part in a massive multinational war game that simulated a terrorist attack on "strategic networks" like power grids, financial centres and telecommunications focussing mainly on cyber-terrorism. The exercise was named Cyber Storm 2 and was co-ordinated by the United States Department of Homeland Security and the New Zealand Government Communications Security Bureau.^[15] It will be used to identify policies & issues that affect cyber response & recovery by government agencies. ^[16]

The exercise will encompass:

• 8 government departments and 3 government agencies
• The states of: Michigan, Montana, New York, Washington
• 9 major IT firms
• 6 electric utility firms (generation, transmission & grid operations)
• 2 major air carriers

and focusses on information technology, energy and finance.

After the exercise the NZ 'CCIP' (Centre for Critical Infrastructure Protection) said in a statement.

"The New Zealand component of the exercise was successful in testing information sharing and response coordination across both public and private sectors and national and international cooperation,"

A report on the overall results will be published at some stage ahead of Cyber Storm III scheduled for 2010. ^[17]

[edit] Strategic Alliance Cyber Crime Working Group

The Strategic Alliance Cyber Crime Working Group' is a new initiative by Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and headed by the United States as a "formal partnership between these nations dedicated to tackling larger global crime issues, particularly organized crime". The cooperation consits of "five countries from three continents banding together to fight cyber crime in a synergistic way by sharing intelligence, swapping tools and best practices, and strengthening and even synchronizing their respective laws." This means that there will be increased information sharing between the New Zealand Police and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) on matters relating to serious fraud or cyber crime. ^[18]

[edit] Bilateral diplomacy

Anand Satyanand, Governor-General of New Zealand.

Michaëlle Jean, Governor-General of Canada.

Because both countries are Commonwealth realms they share Elizabeth II has their mutual sovereign; consequently, relations between the two coutnries are not between one head of state and another, but beween one government and another. Often this amounts to the same thing, but may mean that individual officials may discuss matters directly with each other without deference to a foreign ministry. Political and trade delegations between Commonwealth realms are usually frequent and informal, but both countries also repect the principles of monarchical pomp and circumstance when Governors-General are involved.

[edit] Canadian representation in New Zealand

List of Canadian High Commissioners to New Zealand

Canada in represented by the High Commission in Wellington and the Canadian Government Trade office in Auckland. The personnel in these offices provide a variety of services and support to Canadians and New Zealanders. ^[19]

[edit] New Zealand representation in Canada

Main article: List of High Commissioners from New Zealand to Canada

New Zealand's current High Commissioner to Canada is Mrs Kate Lackey from Wellington.

New Zealand's current High Commission is located in Ottawa, Ontario with 2 other Consulates-General in Vancouver and Toronto.

[edit] New Zealand tours by Canadian delegates and ministers

[edit] Canadian tours by New Zealand delegates and ministers

[edit] Tourism

In the year 2007, 46,680 Canadian tourists visited New Zealand, making Canada the eighth highest source of tourists. ^[20]

Both Canada and New Zealand offer "Working Holiday Programs". This program allows young students to holiday in New Zealand or Canada and to take temporary employment as needed to cover the expenses of their visit. The program aims to increase travel by young people between Canada and New Zealand, and to strengthen the links between the two countries.

Participants receive the same treatment as New Zealand nationals in all matters concerning the application of laws, regulations and practices regarding health and working conditions. This is a 12-month program - one of the longest offered by either government.

[edit] See also

• Foreign relations of New Zealand
• Foreign relations of Canada
• New Zealand-United States relations
• UKUSA Community

[edit] References

1. ^ New Zealand :: About New Zealand
2. ^ Canada - Country Information Paper - NZ Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade
3. ^ Canadian War Museum "The Italian Campaign". Retrieved on: August 5, 2007.
4. ^ Canadian War Museum "Liberating Northwest Europe". Retrieved on: August 5, 2007.
5. ^ The Commonwealth Division - NZ in the Korean War | NZHistory
6. ^ New Zealand :: Trade and Investment
7. ^ Canada-New Zealand Commercial Data
8. ^ National accuses Govt of 'populist' airport move - 05 Mar 2008 - auckland airport
9. ^ CPP Investment Board – Statement from CPP Investment Board following Government’s decision on Overseas Investment Act application
10. ^ Row erupts over NZ's place in US spy network - 31 Jan 2006 - Foreign policy news - NZ Herald
11. ^ AUSCANZUKUS Information Portal. auscannzukus.org.. Retrieved on 2008-03-27.
12. ^ Information Assurance (IA) | Our Work | GCSB
13. ^ Echelon: Exposing the Global Surveillance System
14. ^ Organisation | About Us | GCSB
15. ^ TV3 > News > Science/Technology News > Story > NZ taking part in cyber terrorist exorcise
16. ^ http://cryptome.org/cyberstorm.pdf
17. ^ Geeks get personal in standards stoush - 22 Mar 2008 - Griffin's Tech Blog - NZ Herald Blog
18. ^ FBI — Cyber Working Group - Press Room - Headline Archives 03-18-08
19. ^ New Zealand :: Representation in New Zealand
20. ^ Canada - Country Information Paper - NZ Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade

[edit] External links

• New Zealand High Commision in Canada Official Site
• New Zealand Government Official Site
• High Commision in New Zealand - Official Site
• Canadian Government - Official Site

v • d • e Bilateral foreign relations of New Zealand by country Argentina • Australia • China • Canada • Fiji • France • Greece • North Korea • Israel • Romania • Russia • Ukraine • United States United Nations Free Trade Agreements

v • d • e Foreign relations of Canada Multilateral Relations Caribbean · Latin America · Transatlantic (European Union, NATO)  · United Nations History Soviet Union · Cold War · Vietnam War · Afghanistan War · Iraq War Policies, Doctrines, Concepts Middle Power · North Atlantic triangle · Responsibility to protect · Foreign policy of the Harper government Canadian Diplomats  · Missions Abroad  · Foreign Missions in Canada  · Treaties  · Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade