Australia ‘on the same page’ as Canada on deepening EU ties, says key minister

Canberra is watching Canada’s attempt to build a closer relationship with the European Union and is aligned with Ottawa on the issue, according to Don Farrell, Australia's trade minister. “We are on the same page," Farrell told the Sydney Morning Herald on Tuesday, adding, "We will take great interest in what [Canadian Prime Minister] Mark Carney does." Carney has pivoted towards Europe as Canada attempts to grapple with increasingly hostile trade relations with Washington. He said on Sunday that Ottawa is seeking a "unique alliance" with the EU, following a Wall Street Journal report suggesting he has floated making Canada an “associate member” of the bloc.