Canada and Australia have a “rare” ability to assist convene a coalition of middle powers because their allies know they will be trusted, Prime Minister Mark Carney said in a speech to Australia’s Parliament on Thursday.
Carney’s words built on the headline-grabbing speech he delivered in January on the World Economic Forum, during which he said the old world order had been ruptured and calling on middle powers to unite to stop hegemons from dictating how the world goes to work.
“In a post-rupture world, the nations which can be trusted and may work together will probably be quicker to the punch, simpler of their responses and more proactive in shaping outcomes, and ultimately those countries will probably be safer and prosperous,” he said in Australia Thursday.
Prime Minister Mark Carney delivers an address to parliament in Canberra, Australia, Thursday, March 5, 2026.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld
“Middle powers like Australia and Canada hold this rare convening power. Because others know we mean what we are saying and we are going to match our values with our actions. Canada and Australia have earned this trust throughout our history. The query now’s what we do with it.”
Carney made no mention of the escalating conflict within the Middle East in his address to Australian Parliament.
During his speech, Carney said Canada and Australia had signed a series of recent agreements on critical minerals, including Australia joining the G7 critical minerals alliance.
The prime minister also spoke in regards to the countries’ plan to modernize their bilateral tax and investment treaty.
“The world will at all times be driven by great powers,” said Carney. “But it will possibly even be shaped by middle powers that trust one another enough and act with speed and purpose.”
Earlier within the day, Carney met with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and took part in a welcome ceremony at Parliament House.
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During a gathering with cabinet members, Albanese said the 2 nations share common values and interests. As middle powers, he said there have been discussions about how you can co-operate on defence, the economy and the environment.
“We’re each impacted by climate change, and certainly one of the sensible ways in which we assist one another is your firefighters helping us after which our firefighters helping you,” said Albanese.
“We’ve got much to learn from one another, much to realize from co-operation with one another,” he said.
Carney took time before his speech to acknowledge Australian firefighters within the Australian chamber, who had helped fight wildfires in Alberta last summer.
In his remarks on the meeting with Albanese, Carney said a number of the discussions the leaders have had and a number of the agreements the governments planned to sign reflected progress they began on the G7 summit last 12 months.
“We’re looking forward to learning from you, co-operating in those areas, co-operating in other strategic areas resembling critical minerals, and financial services,” Carney said.
Carney’s Australian trip began Wednesday in Sydney, where he delivered a speech and took some questions on the Lowy Institute think tank, including one about what his “game plan” is for managing his relationship with U.S. President Donald Trump.
Carney laughed before discussing what he called the importance of “respect but not obsequiousness.”
“He’s president for a reason. He’s had success in other areas,” Carney said, calling Trump a “very successful politician” who has been elected twice.
Carney later added that, in private, Trump is more direct than he’s in public and is more concerned with hearing different viewpoints. The prime minister said that “creates a capability to work through things.”
“But it surely’s tough, to be clear,” he added.
“What I find is that he appreciates, particularly in private, being direct and discussing issues and being clear where your position is. That’s crucial.”
Carney said Canada and Australia are each wealthy in critical minerals and are working together to construct “the most important mineral reserve held by trusted democratic nations.”
Canada and Australia could partner on more defence projects, resembling those involving AI and aerospace, he said.
“Right away, once we spend capital on defence, 70 cents of those dollars goes to the US,” he said.
Ottawa and Canberra signed an agreement last 12 months for Canada to purchase an Australian over-the-horizon radar system to be used within the Arctic.
The 2 countries are also working to construct links between the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership, or CPTPP, and the European Union, which Carney said would create a brand new trading bloc of 1.5 billion people.
The CPTPP is an enormous Pacific Rim trade bloc that features Australia. Canada is a member of the CPTPP and has a trade agreement with the EU.
Ahead of Wednesday’s speech, Carney held meetings with business leaders, including Simon Trott of the worldwide mining company Rio Tinto and Jack Cowin, CEO of the fast food company Competitive Foods.
He also met with the heads of investment funds, including Raphael Arndt, CEO of the Future Fund, Shemara Wikramanayake, CEO of Macquarie Group, and Kate Galvin, CEO of Victorian Funds Management Corporation.
Carney visited India before arriving in Australia and can head to Japan for the third and final stop of his 10-day trip.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 4, 2026.
© 2026 The Canadian Press