r/CANZUK Mar 02 '21

What is CANZUK?

495 Upvotes

What is CANZUK?

CANZUK is a proposal for facilitated migration, free trade and defence and foreign policy coordination between Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom.


Why just those four countries?

Because CANZUK's goals include both facilitated migration and geopolitical coordination, the number of viable candidates for membership is severely limited. For facilitated migration to be balanced, members must share similar levels of wealth, employment and economic stability. Similarly, for defence and foreign policy cooperation to be effective, members must be aligned on most major geopolitical issues. This criteria unfortunately means that are currently no other suitable candidates for inclusion, although this can certainly change in the future provided there is a unanimous desire to expand.


What do people think of this idea?

Polling commissioned in 2018 by Canzuk International (the foremost CANZUK advocacy organisation) showed overwhelming support for CANZUK free movement in all four countries.


Don't we already cooperate on defence and foreign policy?

Indeed we do, and this collaboration has only increased in recent years as new challenges and crises have emerged that affect all four countries. However, formalising this longstanding partnership into a legitimate geopolitical bloc means that our actions would carry more weight and we would be better equipped to respond to common threats.


What if the countries disagree on an issue?

The defence and foreign policy aspect of CANZUK is entirely voluntary as each country is completely sovereign. It would simply be a case of collaborating on issues where we are in agreement. On the rare issue where we have differing views, we would go our own way as we always have.


What is facilitated migration?

Facilitated migration refers to the streamlining immigration of processes and the removal of barriers to make it easier for citizens to move, work and study abroad. Facilitated migration covers everything from simple visas to complete free movement like that which exists between Australia and New Zealand. In any case, each country will have complete authority over who they let in and what resources they can access.


What does CANZUK offer me?

On an individual level, the ability to effortlessly move to another country is something that hundreds of thousands of Aussies and Kiwis have enjoyed for decades. Expanding this to include Canada and the UK means that citizens of all four countries will have the chance to change their surroundings, explore different cultures, progress their careers and pursue opportunities that are not otherwise available to them.


How would this affect our existing trade agreements and relationships?

Existing trade agreements and relationships will not be affected. Whilst CANZUK trade might receive a small boost, this will be negligible compared to our primary trading relationships in our respective regions which will continue to be our main economic focus.


Why are all the countries predominantly white?

As explained above, the countries were chosen for their similar economic standing and aligned foreign policy agenda. All four countries pride themselves on their multiculturalism and depend on high levels of immigration from Asia and elsewhere. This will continue to be the case.


Isn't this just the British Empire 2.0?

Absolutely not. Whilst we share a similar colonial history, it is not the past that binds us today. CANZUK's governing principle is four equal partners with an equal say. Member states will cede no power and retain complete control over their policies and affairs.


Is this the UK's replacement for the EU after Brexit?

No. CANZUK predates Brexit and is an entirely separate endeavour. Had it elected to remain, the UK could have been in both the EU and CANZUK as the two are not incompatible.


Is CANZUK a union?

No. It is sometimes mistakenly called a union by commentators but this is incorrect as there are absolutely no plans for political or economic integration, a shared currency or a federation. Put simply, CANZUK proposes nothing more ambitious than the relationship between Australia and New Zealand and that can hardly be characterised as a union.


What if a CANZUK country becomes a republic?

The monarchy vs republic debate is completely unrelated to CANZUK and is a matter for the individual countries to decide for themselves. If one, multiple or all countries become republics, it will have absolutely no effect on CANZUK.


How can I help make CANZUK a reality?

You can help CANZUK by:


r/CANZUK 2h ago

Casual UK and Canadian PMs support same football team

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59 Upvotes

r/CANZUK 23h ago

Casual Commonwealth Games starts tomorrow

40 Upvotes

r/CANZUK 22h ago

Theoretical Newbie!

25 Upvotes

Hello! I'm new to this CANZUK idea but it sounds interesting. I was a staunch Remainer in the Brexit vote but even I can admit that the prospect of the UK rejoining the EU without its previous opt-outs is unlikely and probably would require at least a couple generations to become viable.

So i have some hypothetical and probably ignorant questions:

1) Would the advent of CANZUK inspire another go at supersonic flight? I think a lot of us in Britain remember Concord and it feels like that really cool thing we once had that no one knows where or why it went away lol. Due to the geographical distance that would arise from CANZUK i could see a new era of supersonic flight development to alleviate logistical hurdles.

2) Canada, Australia, and New Zealand all use their own version of the Dollar. Would CANZUK encourage these countries to use their own version of the Pound instead? I know extremely little about international currency or economics lol, but i believe the Pound is one of the oldest currencies in the world and currently still one of the strongest despite only being used by Britain, i think that adds a nice mix of heritage and power to it. 😄

3) I mean absolutely no offence by this, but culturally i do see Canadians as more American influenced than say British influenced (if we're using British as the cultural and ancestral link between the countries of CANZUK). I know CANZUK isn't advocating for a political union, but surely with free movement comes issues around cultural integration. I'd be interested to hear from Canadians about how they see themselves, obviously i know the relationship with the US right now is under immense strain, but culturally speaking i wonder whether you consider yourselves closer to them or us?

4) Considering the British Monarchy is the only actual unified connection still between these countries, how is the support for the Monarchy in each of them? Do you think a CANZUK would inspire new Monarchies in these countries? Or extensions of the current one to better cover the geographical distance? Really honing in on an international constitutional monarchy.


r/CANZUK 2d ago

Casual Every current CANZUK Prime Minister was raised Catholic.

69 Upvotes

r/CANZUK 7d ago

News Canada to join British-Italian-Japanese fighter jet program

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345 Upvotes

r/CANZUK 8d ago

Opinion CANZUK TV REMOTE

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289 Upvotes

why?


r/CANZUK 17d ago

Media Will Australia join Canzuk or the EU first?

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10 Upvotes

r/CANZUK 17d ago

Discussion If CANZUK had to been expanded to include another nation, who would you choose?

0 Upvotes

me personally I would choose India because they are English and common wealth


r/CANZUK 19d ago

Casual Which Parliament Building Looks the Coolest?

16 Upvotes

Canadian here, so I've seen plenty of discussion about Parliament Hill, but it got me wondering how people across CANZUK would rank all four.

If you had to judge purely on the architecture and overall visual impact, which parliament building do you think looks the coolest? And no, temperature is not involved, otherwise Ottawa would easily win this one.

Some non-exhaustive criteria that come to mind are:

  1. The exterior architecture

  2. Its recognizability

  3. Its setting and surroundings

  4. Interior design and grandeur

  5. Historical character and how well it represents its respective country

  6. Overall atmosphere or presence

Try to ignore politics and focus solely on the buildings themselves.

My personal ranking would be:

  1. Canberra because it feels the most unique. Instead of another Gothic revival parliament, it's a modern building that still feels monumental. The way it's built into Capital Hill, with the enormous flag flying above it, makes it look like it's part of the beautiful landscape rather than simply sitting on top of it. It has a really distinctive presence that I don't think any of the others match.

  2. London takes second because it's arguably the most iconic parliament building in the world. The Gothic revival architecture is stunning, and the long facade along the Thames River gives it an inherently regal presence. If I were judging solely on historical significance, it would probably be first.

  3. Ottawa comes in third (as a Canadian saying this, no less). Parliament Hill is definitely beautiful, especially with the Peace Tower and its setting overlooking the Ottawa River. It's one of Canada's defining landmarks, but the only reason I rank it below London is that the overall composition feels a bit less dramatic to me, and below Canberra because I personally prefer the latter's originality and setting.

  4. Wellington comes in last, though not because I dislike it by any means. I actually think the Beehive is an interesting and memorable concept, but I find the overall parliamentary complex less visually cohesive than the other three. It feels more practical than grand, whereas the others immediately strike me as national monuments. Nonetheless, I must reiterate that this does not make its design "bad" at all.


r/CANZUK 21d ago

News Canada will join Eurovision Song Contest in 2027

117 Upvotes

r/CANZUK 22d ago

Media Zack Polanski speaks to British Chambers of Commerce and Q&A with Sophy Ridge.

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0 Upvotes

r/CANZUK 25d ago

Casual Why are you here?

34 Upvotes

Who are you and what makes you supportive of the idea of CANZUK?

I’ll go first: Canadian immigrant. My main concern is realpolitik, I see it as an option and maybe a very important tilt in the post-American-oriented western world. Definitely no monarchist implications from my point of view.

(I think that this subreddit will keep things civil - I am hoping to get few-sentence summaries of how people see this, not any frivolous back-and-forths)


r/CANZUK 25d ago

Discussion CANZUK supporters, do you align right or left of centre?

17 Upvotes
609 votes, 22d ago
103 Right of Centre
375 Left of Centre
131 Centrist

r/CANZUK 26d ago

News CBC/Radio-Canada becomes a full Member of the European Broadcasting Union

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58 Upvotes

r/CANZUK 29d ago

Media Hundreds of British soldiers to start drone and electronic warfare training at vast Canadian site

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80 Upvotes

r/CANZUK 29d ago

Discussion Why on Earth has Brexit not enabled CANZUK?

57 Upvotes

I feel like I'm going crazy here. Please forgive me for this rant post, but I find this existentially infuriating.

Yesterday was the 10th anniversary of the Brexit vote, and I have seen unending posts and headlines about what a regrettable tragedy it was and how it's destroyed the British economy for seemingly no reason, with no light at the end of the tunnel to speak of today.

Well shouldn't that have been CANZUK?? Why wasn't the Project for CANZUK launched in parliament, or even discussed in the wider public from October 2019, nearly 7 years ago, when the final Brexit arrangement was agreed. Why is this proposal still considered a non-starter in mainstream political media?

What the heck was Brexit even for, if CANZUK was not a completely obvious follow-up arrangement? Was it just a scam?

As a Kiwi with dual citizenship, I was neutral on the Brexit debate, but witnessing the prevailing media narrative over the last many years has almost convinced me there really is an elite conspiracy for Britain to inevitably rejoin the EU once this bad age of 'populism' is passed. It's just maddening.


r/CANZUK Jun 22 '26

News Australia secures biggest-ever defence export deal with Canada

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187 Upvotes

r/CANZUK Jun 22 '26

Casual Mark Carney named next UK Prime Minister [satire]

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12 Upvotes

r/CANZUK Jun 13 '26

Opinion What level do you think Monarchist aesthetics should be at in a hypothetical CANZUK?

10 Upvotes

r/CANZUK Jun 12 '26

News UK and Canada in talks on defense bank and fighter jet programs

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166 Upvotes

r/CANZUK Jun 08 '26

Discussion Dates for Study Permit

0 Upvotes

I have recieved my CAQ and I put in my dates of the academic term when doing it, however, these dates don't give me any time to settle in before and I was wondering before I do the "Application for Study Permit made outside of Canada", should I put in the dates that CAQ gave me or ones a week or 2 before? And if I put in the dates of the CAQ will the study permit give me time before? (I am coming from the UK)


r/CANZUK Jun 02 '26

Official Top 10 CANZUK subnational regions, with the highest life expectancy at birth

16 Upvotes

Top 10 CANZUK subnational regions, with the highest life expectancy at birth

  1. Australian Capital Territory - Australia - 85.13

  2. Western Australia - Australia - 84.43

  3. Victoria - Australia - 84.33

  4. New South Wales - Australia - 84.02

  5. South Australia - Australia - 83.72

  6. Queensland - Australia - 83.52

  7. Quebec - Canada - 83.24

  8. British Columbia - Canada - 83.05

  9. Ontario - Canada - 83.00

  10. Auckland - New Zealand - 82.99

Per country

Australia - 6 - Australian Capital Territory, Western Australia, Victoria, New South Wales, South Australia, Queensland

Canada - 3 - Quebec, British Columbia, Ontario

New Zealand - 1 - Auckland

UK - 0 - NA


r/CANZUK Jun 01 '26

News 🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌

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172 Upvotes

r/CANZUK Jun 02 '26

Discussion Kanzuk, the Anglo Arctic Federation (AAF)

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0 Upvotes