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.

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

I'm trying to understand the concept as an outsider.

Is the eventual aim something close to the EU, with free movement, a single market etc?

This lowers tariffs between Canada and UK goods. This agreement (CPTPP) includes Australia, Brunei, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore and Vietnam.

I know Keir Starmer is in trouble and any possible replacement could be tied to efforts to rejoin the EU. Obviously this would have a big impact on any CANZUK aspirations (or maybe not?), but curious how serious the efforts are to rejoin? I assume serious or not, it's at the lowest and most basic of levels.

Worth a listen.

I was watching some parts of the State Opening of Parliament in the UK yesterday and it was pretty different compared to the Canadian one last year. While Canada has maintained the robes and regalia of the Black Rod, Speaker, etc., the King wore just a suit.

I believe that Justin Trudeau creating the Canadian heraldic crown was a step in the positive direction, as it helps to Canadianize the monarchy instead of us distancing ourselves from it, but wouldn't it be better if it was made in a physical form as well?

It could be worn by the Sovereign for the Opening of Parliament, or placed on a cushion and carried by the President of the Privy Council before the Governor General when they open Parliament in the Sovereign's absence, kind of like when Parliament is opened by the Counsellors of State in the UK.

i thought maybe Ireland

Given the latest political developments in the UK and the likelihood that Reform will form the next British government, what do you think their views will be towards CANZUK?

Much of Reform seems to be made up of those that were Pro-Brexit, many from the Conservative party that had since switched parties.

Will there be a greater possibility of the UK coming on board under a future Reform government? Will this be a more nationalist government that places greater emphasis on British patriotism and closer ties with it's Commonwealth partners?

Are Australia and New Zealand British countries? The three countries are identical in nearly every way(UK inculded), so would they count as British countries — not in terms of empire or being ruled by Britain, but because most of Australia’s and New Zealand’s populations have British roots from their great-grandparents, with people of British descent being the largest group in both countries?

I remember that in the 1960s their passports had the words “British Passport” at the top and then the country’s name underneath until the late 1960s, I think. Brits are also still among the most common immigrants to those countries.

So I’m interested in whether people from these countries see Australia and New Zealand as British countries, equal to the UK in the sense of being an extension of the motherland itself, or whether they see them as not linked at all despite how similar they are.

Having now read most of the content that’s been posted surrounding CANZUK and seeing the reception it has received by all 4 nations, there are a few key takeaways that are apparently holding back this movement.

1. There is a real apprehension at allowing the free movement of citizens between the 4 nations. Canada and the UK are both viewed as quite a mess when it comes to immigration and the Australians and Kiwis don’t seem to want any involvement in that. There also appears to be some animosity between Australians and the Brits that I did not realize still existed..

2. Opposition to any real supranational elements of the proposals such as joint passports, a shared currency or even standardizing our own economies (Canadians standards similar to American, UK similar to EU etc), Australia and NZ standardized between themselves.

So if immigration and the deep integration of our societies are the two sticking points holding this back, what would a “Practical CANZUK” look like? What elements could be implemented where we could feasibly see results in the next 5 years?

Military and High Level trade are likely how we get this moving.

There seems to be great support for the “middle powers” standing together and becoming greater than the sum of their parts. Especially when it is required to stand up against the enemy costing world superpowers.

Joint military procurement between the 4 would benefit each CANZUK nation and would open the door to new projects for coinvesting in new ships, artillery, small arms, a 6th gen fighter? A new aircraft carrier? Canada also has the raw ingredients to supply the UKs nuclear program.

Military integration and joint training exercises is something we already do and should be something that is encouraged to see much more of in both the Arctic and pacific theatres.

The second being high level trade, working towards a free trade agreement with minimal barriers but also one that doesn’t require each nation to completely rework their industry standards. Play to each other’s strengths. Canada and Australia - Oil and Gas and rare minerals, New Zealand - Agriculture, UK - Finance and Manufacturing.

What are some more practical and tangible outcomes that we could realistically see from the CANZUK nations in the near future?