CANZUK is a proposed alliance ofCanada,Australia,New Zealand and theUnited Kingdom to form an international organisation orconfederation similar in scope to the formerEuropean Economic Community.^[1] This includes increased trade, foreign policy co-operation, military co-operation and mobility of citizens between the four states. This is tied together by similareconomic systems,social values andpolitical andlegal system, a shared head of state beingKing Charles III, in addition to the majority population of each countryspeaking English.^[2] The idea is lobbied by the advocacy groupCANZUK International.^[3] Other supporters includethink tanks such as theAdam Smith Institute,^[4] theHenry Jackson Society,^[5]Bruges Group^[6] and politicians from the four countries.

The term CANZUK was first coined byWilliam David McIntyre in his 1967 bookColonies into Commonwealth in the context of a "CANZUK Union".^[7] The idea of increased migration, trade and foreign policy cooperation between the CANZUK countries was created and popularized in 2015 by CEO and Founder ofCANZUK International^[8] (formerly the Commonwealth Freedom of Movement Organisation), James Skinner.^[9][10]

In the wake of the2016 United Kingdom European Union membership referendum and the decision made byBritain to leave the European Union, writers such as Andrew Lilico andJames C. Bennett, along with academics such as the historianAndrew Roberts, also advocated that Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom merge and form a new entity in international politics.^[11][12] Roberts suggested that such a bloc could slot into the international order as a third pillar of the West (alongside the United States and the European Union). Beyond this, Roberts argues that due to its territorial scale, geographic scope and advanced economy that it would qualify as a "great power" and potentially a "global power" (oremerging superpower).^[1]

Some advocates such as Roberts favour a federal or confederal union. Others, such as Lilico, describe the objective as being the creation of a "geopolitical partnership" akin to the European Economic Community.^[13] In the version favoured by Lilico, by the advocacy group CANZUK international and by theConservative Party of Canada, the proposal would involve the creation of a free-movement zone, a multilateral free trade agreement and a security partnership. The more general concept of deepening trade ties (with or without a multilateral agreement) has many advocates, including figures such as former Australian Prime MinisterScott Morrison,^[14] former Canadian Prime MinisterJustin Trudeau,^[15] former British Prime MinisterTheresa May^[16] and former New Zealand Prime MinisterJacinda Ardern.^[17]

Canada, Australia and New Zealand are formerdominions of theBritish Empire where people ofBritish ethnic origin came to constitute the majority of the population.^[18] Today, the four CANZUK countries maintain a close affinity of cultural, diplomatic and military ties to one another. TheAustralian andNew Zealand national flags contain theUnion Flag in their canton, and the Union Flag is aceremonial flag in Canada (referred to as the Royal Union Flag).

Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom are alsoCommonwealth realms which shareCharles III as their constitutional monarch and their head of state. The countries share a number of institutional, linguistic and religious similarities such as the use of political systems based upon theWestminster parliamentary system of government, andcommon law. The CANZUK countries form part of theEnglish-speaking world and share a number ofAnglosphere military initiatives with each other including theFincastle Trophy,Five Eyes intelligence,ABCANZ Armies andAUSCANNZUKUS, which are concerned with increased military and naval co-operation. Canada and the United Kingdom are allied through theNorth Atlantic Treaty Organization while Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom are allied through theFive Power Defence Arrangements.

All four nations have diverse, multicultural populations, free and open presses, and are closely aligned on key social issues. Public relations are extremely warm between the four countries, with consistent evidence that people in Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom regard each other's countries as their own country's closest friends and allies in the world, including the countries joining the United States of America in the Five Eyes intelligence sharing community.^[19]

Since 1983, Australia and New Zealand have had formal trade ties with theCloser Economic Relations (CER) agreement.

In 2021, Australia and the United Kingdom agreed to one of the broadest trade agreements in Australia's history, only comparable with a similar deal between New Zealand and Australia. Greatly liberalising free movement of goods and people, the new agreement will reduce technological and digital barriers between the two nations. It is intended that lawyer degrees in Australia and the United Kingdom will have the same legal framework, making it easier for lawyers in both nations to apply for work in each other's countries. The new agreement will reduce visa requirements for unskilled farmworkers and other regional work sectors.^[20]

	United Kingdom[21]	Canada[22]	Australia[23]	New Zealand[24]
Flag
Coat of arms
Population	69,281,437 (as of 2024[update])[25]	40,769,890 (as of 2024[update])[26]	26,966,789 (as of 2024[update])[27]	5,356,700 (as of December 2024[update])[28]
Area	242,741 km2[25]	9,984,670 km2[22]	7,741,220 km2[23]	268,838 km2[24]
Population density	285/km2[25]	3.9/km2	3.5/km2	18.3/km2
Exclusive Economic Zone[29]	6,805,586 km2	5,559,077 km2	8,505,348 km2	4,420,565 km2
Capital city	London	Ottawa	Canberra	Wellington
Largest city		Toronto	Sydney	Auckland
Form of government	Unitaryparliamentaryconstitutional monarchy[21]	Federal parliamentary constitutional monarchy[22]	Federal parliamentary constitutional monarchy[23]	Unitary parliamentary constitutional monarchy[24]
Monarch	Charles III
Prime Minister	Keir Starmer	Mark Carney	Anthony Albanese	Christopher Luxon
Official languages	English[a]	English French	English[a]	English[a] Māori New Zealand Sign Language
Religions	46.5%Christianity 37.8%Irreligious 6.0%Islam 1.6%Hinduism 0.8%Sikhism 0.4%Buddhism 0.4%Judaism 0.6%Other 5.9% not stated (As of2021/22)[b][30][31][32]	53.3%Christian 34.6%Irreligious 4.9%Muslim 2.3%Hindu 2.1%Sikh 1.0%Buddhist 0.9%Jewish 0.9%Other (As of2021)[c]	43.9%Christian 38.9%Irreligious 3.2%Muslim 2.7%Hindu 2.4%Buddhist 0.8%Sikh 0.4%Jewish 0.9%Other (As of2021)[d]	51.6%Irreligious 32.3%Christian 2.9%Hindu 1.5%Islam 1.3%Maori religions 1.1%Buddhist 0.4%Spiritualism and New Age 0.1%Jewish 2.0%Other 6.9% not stated (As of2023)
Currency	Pound sterling (£)	Canadian dollar ($)	Australian dollar ($)	New Zealand dollar ($)

Using data from 2019, below is a table comparing the CANZUK countries to each other, as well as their combined size as a percentage of the world.

Country	Population	Area	Exclusive EconomicZone (2017)[29]	Military Expenditures (USD billion - 2020)[34]	Nominal GDP (billions USD)[35]	Nominal GDP per capita (USD)[36]	PPP GDP (billions USD)[37]	PPP GDP per capita (USD)[38]	National Wealth (billions USD)[39]	National Wealth per capita (USD)	Human Development Index (2021)[40]
United Kingdom	67,886,004[41]	243,610 km2[21]	6,805,586 km2	55.10	$3,960	$56,660	$4,450	$63,760	$14,073	$212,640	0.929 (very high)
Canada	38,014,184[42]	9,984,670 km2[22]	5,559,077 km2	22.50	$2,280	$54,930	$2,720	$65,500	$7,407	$202,240	0.936 (very high)
Australia	25,741,500[43]	7,741,220 km2[23]	8,505,348 km2	26.30	$1,830	$65,950	$1,980	$71,430	$7,329	$299,748	0.951 (very high)
New Zealand	5,356,700[28]	268,838 km2[24]	4,420,565 km2	4.30	$262	$49,380	$297	$55,780	$1,162	$240,821	0.937 (very high)
Total	136,998,388	18,238,338 km2	25,290,576 km2	108.2	$8,332	$56,730	$9,447	$64,117	$29,971	$226,913	0.938 (very high)
Total as % of World	1.7%	11.7%[44]	18.3%	5.4%	7.1%	–	4.5%	–	10.7%	–	–

Canada has no external territories, but maintains three internal territories alongside the provinces of the Canadian mainland. Unlike the provinces, the territories of Canada have no inherentsovereignty and have only those powers delegated to them by the federal government.^[45][46][47] They include all of mainland Canada north oflatitude 60° north and west ofHudson Bay and all islands north of the Canadian mainland (from those inJames Bay to the Queen Elizabeth Islands).

In addition to the six Australian States, Australia also comprises ten territories, whose existence and governmental structure (if any) depend on federal legislation. The territories are distinguished for federal administrative purposes betweeninternal territories, i.e. those within the Australian mainland, andexternal territories, although the differences among all the territories relate to population rather than location.

Two of the threeinternal territories—theAustralian Capital Territory (ACT), which was established to be a neutral site of the federal capital, and theNorthern Territory—function almost as states. Each has self-government, through its legislative assembly, but the assembly's legislation can be federally overridden. Each has its own judiciary, with appeal to a federal court. The third internal territory, theJervis Bay Territory, is the product of Australia's complex relationship with its capital city; rather than having the same level of autonomy as the other internal territories, it has services provided by the ACT.

There are also sevenexternal territories, not part of the Australian mainland or of any state. Three of them have a small permanent population, two have tiny and transient populations, and two are uninhabited. All are directly administered by the federalDepartment of Infrastructure, Regional Development and Cities (or theDepartment of the Environment and Energy in the case of theAustralian Antarctic Territory).Norfolk Island, which is permanently populated, was partially self-governing until 2015.

Territory	Flag	Coat of Arms	Capital (largest settlement)	Population (Jun 2019)[48]	Area (km2)[49]	External territories
Ashmore and Cartier Islands			None(offshoreanchorage)	0	750[50]
Australian Antarctic Territory			None(Davis Station)	Less than 1,000	5,896,500 km
Christmas Island			Flying Fish Cove	1,938	135
Cocos (Keeling) Islands			West Island	547	14
Coral Sea Islands			None(Willis Island)	4[e]	780,000
Heard Island and McDonald Islands			None(Atlas Cove)	0	372
Norfolk Island			Kingston	1,758	35

ThePacific islands of the Cook Islands and Niue became New Zealand's first colonies in 1901 and thenprotectorates. From 1965 the Cook Islands became self-governing, as did Niue from 1974. Tokelau came under New Zealand control in 1925 and remains anon-self-governing territory.^[52]

The Ross Dependency comprises that sector of theAntarctic continent between 160° east and 150° west longitude, together with the islands lying between those degrees of longitude and south of latitude 60° south.^[53] TheBritish (imperial) government took possession of this territory in 1923 and entrusted it to the administration of New Zealand. NeitherRussia nor theUnited States recognises this claim, and the matter remains unresolved (along with all other Antarctic claims) by theAntarctic Treaty, which serves to mostly smooth over these differences. The area is uninhabited, apart from scientific bases.

New Zealand citizenship law treats all parts of the Realm equally, so most people born in New Zealand, the Cook Islands, Niue, Tokelau and the Ross Dependency before 2006 are New Zealand citizens. Further conditions apply for those born from 2006 onwards.^[54]

Territory	Flag	Coat of Arms	Capital (largest settlement)	Population (Jun 2018)[48]	Area (km2)[49]
Associated states
Cook Islands			Avarua	21,388	236
Niue			Alofi	1,145	260
Dependent territories
Ross Dependency			None(Scott Base)	Scott Base: 10–85 McMurdo Station: 200–1,000 (seasonally)	450,000
Tokelau			Fakaofo	1,405	10

TheBritish Overseas Territories (BOTs) are fourteenterritories all with a constitutional link with – but not forming part of – theUnited Kingdom.^[55][56] Most of the permanently inhabited territories are internally self-governing, with the UK retaining responsibility for defence andforeign relations. Three are inhabited only by a transitory population of military or scientific personnel. They all have theBritish monarch ashead of state.^[57]

The term "British Overseas Territory" was introduced by theBritish Overseas Territories Act 2002, replacing the termBritish Dependent Territory, introduced by theBritish Nationality Act 1981. Prior to 1 January 1983, the territories were officially referred to asBritish Crown Colonies.

The British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies are themselves distinct from theCommonwealth realms, a group of 15 independent countries (including the United Kingdom) each having Charles III as their reigning monarch, and from theCommonwealth of Nations, a voluntary association of 54 countries mostly with historic links to the British Empire (which also includes all Commonwealth realms).

As of April 2018^[update], three Territories (theFalkland Islands,Gibraltar and theSovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia onCyprus) are the responsibility of theMinister of State for Europe and the Americas; the Minister responsible for the remaining Territories is theParliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Overseas Territories and Sustainable Development.^[58]

Name	Flag	Arms	Capital	Population	Area	Location	GDP (nominal)	GDP Per Capita (nominal)
Anguilla			The Valley	14,869(2019 estimate)[59]	91 km2 (35.1 sq mi)[60]	Caribbean, NorthAtlantic Ocean	£141.62 million	£9,850
Bermuda			Hamilton	62,506(2019 estimate)[61]	54 km2 (20.8 sq mi)[62]	North Atlantic Ocean between theAzores, theCaribbean,Cape Sable Island andCanada	£4.5 billion	£69,240
British Antarctic Territory			Rothera (main base)	50 non-permanent in winter, over 400 in summer(research personnel)[63]	1,709,400 km2 (660,000 sq mi)[60]	Antarctica
British Indian Ocean Territory			Diego Garcia (base)	3,000 non-permanent(UK and US military personnel; estimate)[64]	60 km2 (23 sq mi)[65]	Indian Ocean
British Virgin Islands			Road Town	31,758(2018 census)	153 km2 (59 sq mi)[66]	Caribbean, North Atlantic Ocean	£870 million	£28,040
Cayman Islands			George Town	68,076(2019 estimate)[67]	264 km2 (101.9 sq mi)[67]	Caribbean	£4.15 billion	£146,250
Falkland Islands			Stanley	3,377(2019 estimate)[68] 1,350 non-permanent(UK military personnel; 2012 estimate)	12,173 km2 (4,700 sq mi)[62]	South Atlantic Ocean	£132.82 million	£57,170
Gibraltar			Gibraltar	33,701(2019 estimate)[69] 1,250 non-permanent(UK military personnel; 2012 estimate)	6.5 km2 (2.5 sq mi)[70]	Iberian Peninsula,Continental Europe	£1.89 billion	£74,960
Montserrat			Plymouth (abandoned –de facto capitalBrades)	5,215(2019 census)	101 km2 (39 sq mi)[71]	Caribbean, North Atlantic Ocean	£130.72 million	£25,060
Pitcairn, Henderson, Ducie and Oeno Islands			Adamstown	50(2018 estimate)[72] 6 non-permanent(2014 estimate)[73]	47 km2 (18 sq mi)[74]	Pacific Ocean	£84,870	£1,700
Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha, including:			Jamestown	5,633(total; 2016 census)	420 km2 (162 sq mi)	South Atlantic Ocean	£18.65 million	£4,570
Saint Helena				4,349(Saint Helena; 2019 census)[75]
Ascension Island				880(Ascension; estimate)[76] 1,000 non-permanent UK military personnel(estimate)[76]
Tristan da Cunha				300(estimate)[76] 9 non-permanent(weather personnel)
South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands			King Edward Point	99 non-permanent(officials and research personnel)[77]	3,903 km2 (1,507 sq mi)[78]	South Atlantic Ocean
Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia			Episkopi Cantonment	7,700(Cypriots; estimate) 8,000 non-permanent(UK military personnel; estimate)	255 km2 (98 sq mi)[79]	Cyprus,Mediterranean Sea
Turks and Caicos Islands			Cockburn Town	38,191(2019 estimate)[80]	430 km2 (166 sq mi)[81]	Lucayan Archipelago, North Atlantic Ocean	£830 million	£21,920

TheCrown Dependencies (French:Dépendances de la Couronne;Manx:Croghaneyn-crooin) are three island territories off the coast ofGreat Britain that are self-governing possessions ofThe Crown: theBailiwick of Guernsey, theBailiwick of Jersey and theIsle of Man. They do not form part of either theUnited Kingdom or theBritish Overseas Territories.^[82][83] Internationally, the dependencies are considered "territories for which the United Kingdom is responsible", rather thansovereign states.^[84] As a result, they are not member states of theCommonwealth of Nations.^[85] However, they do have relationships with the Commonwealth, theEuropean Union, and other international organisations, and are members of theBritish–Irish Council. They have their own teams in theCommonwealth Games.

As the Crown dependencies are not sovereign states, the power to pass legislation affecting the islands ultimately rests with the government of the United Kingdom (though this is rarely done without the consent of the dependencies, and the right to do so is disputed). However, they each have their own legislative assembly, with the power to legislate on many local matters with the assent of the Crown (Privy Council, or in the case of the Isle of Man in certain circumstances theLieutenant-Governor).^[86] In each case, thehead of government is called theChief Minister.

Name	Flag	Coat of Arms	Capital	Population	Area	Title of Monarch
Bailiwick of GuernseyA	Alderney		Saint Anne	65,849	78 km2 (30 sq mi)	Duke of Normandy
	Guernsey		Saint Peter Port (capital of the whole Bailiwick and of Guernsey)
	Sark		The Seigneurie (de facto; Sark does not have a capital city)
Bailiwick of Jersey			Saint Helier	106,800	118.2 km2 (46 sq mi)
Isle of Man			Douglas	84,997	572 km2 (221 sq mi)	Lord of Mann

^A IncludingAlderney,Guernsey, andSark.

Several organisations have been set up that promote, to varying degrees, much closer associations between the CANZUK nations.CANZUK International has, as its stated aim, the desire to establish an area of freedom of movement akin to that which existed before theEuropean Communities Act 1972, or as a mirror to the rights of free movement as seen within theTrans-Tasman Travel Arrangement.^[87] Other organisations are largely voluntary groupings of those who advocate the more specific idea of transnational union, such as "CANZUK Uniting".^[88]

Several members of parliament voiced their support for the CANZUK initiative during theConservative Party of Canada's2017 leadership election. The eventual winner of the leadership election,Andrew Scheer, stated his support for a CANZUK free trade deal in March 2017. At a debate inVancouver,British Columbia, Scheer stated, "I very much support a trade deal with those countries. Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom have a similar basis of law, they have a common democratic system, they have the same types of legislation and regulations around investment and trade. Those are the types of things we don't enjoy with China".^{[89][better source needed]}

Other candidates for the Conservative Party leadership also adopted CANZUK free trade and free movement as a part of their campaigns platforms, includingErin O'Toole andMichael Chong.^[90] In April 2017, O'Toole released a video with CANZUK International, describing the CANZUK initiative as "a no brainer", stating that Canada already offers free trade and free mobility with citizens of the United States and should therefore offer such benefits to "our other closest allies".^[91] O'Toole again supported CANZUK during his successful campaign for the leadership of the Conservative Party of Canada in2020.^[92]

In August 2018, the Conservative Party of Canada adopted CANZUK as official party policy at their 2018 party convention by 215 votes to 7.^[93][94] The party presently serves as theOfficial Opposition in theParliament of Canada.

After his victory in the August2020 Conservative Party of Canada leadership election,Erin O'Toole, made CANZUK a priority in his platform.^[95][96]

During the official French debate of the2025 Liberal Party of Canada leadership election,Frank Baylis named CANZUK as a new economic bloc to create stronger economic links abroad following tariff threats from the United States. He cited similar forms of government, shared values, and a common language as factors that would support integration.^[97][98][99] This follows freedom of movement between Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom being adopted by the Liberal Party as policy with the adoption of a resolution endorsed by theYoung Liberals of Canada at the 2023 Liberal National Convention.^[100] The Young Liberals had released a policy pledge for the leadership election in January 2025 prior to the debate, and named CANZUK as a priority item.^[101]

In August 2017,LiberalSenator forVictoria,James Paterson, published an opinion-piece in theAustralian Financial Review declaring support for CANZUK free trade and free movement, stating "With Australia, New Zealand and Canada all lining up to sign post-Brexit trade agreements with the United Kingdom, we have an opportunity to push for a wide-ranging agreement between all four Commonwealth nations...It's an idea whose time has come."^[102]

In New Zealand,ACT New Zealand has expressed support for a "free-movement zone", with leaderDavid Seymour stating, "Successful nations like Britain and New Zealand shouldn't be putting up walls and shutting off from each other when it's the exchange of ideas that has made our nations so prosperous. Brexit provides new options as Britain pivots away from European immigration. Let's approach Britain with a proposal for a two-way free movement agreement".^[103]

In April 2018Simon Bridges MP, thenLeader of the Opposition and Leader of theNational Party, announced his support for CANZUK.^[104]

Leader of theNew Zealand First political partyWinston Peters called in February 2016 for a Commonwealth Free Trade Area modelled on the one in existence between Australia and New Zealand. In his comments, he suggested the inclusion of the UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand in this area, with the possibility of adding others, referring to the putative free trade area as a 'Closer Commonwealth Economic Relations' area, or CCER.^[105] CCER was included as New Zealand government policy in theLabour-NZ First coalition agreement.^[106]

On 11 July 2012,Andrew Rosindell MP forRomford put forward aprivate members' bill to theUK Parliament which would involve allowing "subjects ofHer Majesty's realms to enter the United Kingdom through a dedicated channel at international terminals", "display prominently a portrait of Her Majesty as Head of State" and the Union flag, and other provisions,^[107] which would include citizens of Canada, Australia and New Zealand, with the stated aim of introducing reciprocal border agreements between the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms in the future.^[108] The bill was supported by MPsNigel Dodds (DUP),Rory Stewart (Conservative),Bob Blackman (Conservative),Steve Baker (Conservative),Priti Patel (Conservative),Mark Menzies (Conservative),Kate Hoey (Labour),Ian Paisley (DUP),John Redwood (Conservative) andThomas Docherty (Labour).^[108] The "Bill failed to complete its passage through Parliament before the end of the session ... and [made] no further progress."^[107]

The Adam Smith Institute expressed its support for CANZUK in early 2018.^{[109][110][111]}

Then Conservative Party MEP forSouth East EnglandDaniel Hannan expressed his support for CANZUK as a guest speaker at the 2018 Canadian Conservative Party convention in Halifax.^[112] Scottish Conservative MPBill Grant also expressed his support for increased ties between the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada and New Zealand on his webpage in 2018 and stated that British Ministers are aware of CANZUK and "are very enthusiastic about our future relationships and trade with each of the countries involved".^[113]

Since early 2020, the grassroots Conservative Party movement Conservatives for CANZUK has influenced MPs to build support for a post-Brexit realignment of British foreign policy among Conservative Party members, other MPs, peers and policy makers.^[114] Open supporters includes 23 MPs among whom notably includeJeremy Hunt andPaul Bristow - chairman of the CANZUK APPG.^[115]

Critics have suggested that the CANZUK project would not make sense as a geopolitical construct in the 21st century.Nick Cohen wrote in April 2016 that "It's a Eurosceptic fantasy that the 'Anglosphere' wants Brexit", and emphasises the gradual separation that has occurred between each of the states in both legal and political culture since the end of the British Empire.^[116]

Former Australian Labor prime ministerKevin Rudd reiterated this sentiment, stating that "much as any Australian, Canadian and New Zealand governments of whichever persuasion would do whatever they could to frame new free-trade agreements with the UK, the bottom line is that 65 million of us do not come within a bull's roar of Britain's adjacent market of 450 million Europeans", describing the idea as "bollocks".^[117]

Economic, geographical, political and social complexities would limit the influence that this bloc could exert. Only one of the countries (the United Kingdom) has significant military capabilities, and it is the only one with a permanent seat on theUnited Nations Security Council. The UK's economy is considerably bigger than those of each of the three other countries.^[118]

Chris Randle wrote in the American, left-wingJacobin that "Anglo-conservatives sometimes fantasize about reuniting the dominions under 'CANZUK,' a trade bloc whereworkers could be exploited freely. InEurope's most regionally unequal economy, the United Kingdom, desiccated fromyears of austerity, this is what passes for political ambition:necromancers sewing each other'szombies together."^[119]

An editorial in Canada'sGlobe and Mail, which described CANZUK as "a silly name", pointed out that those Commonwealth countries with which advocates of Brexit were most enamoured were "ex-Dominions where white people predominate" and that even if it were broadened to include populous countries, the group had "nowhere near the latent appetite for trade with Britain that would make the scheme credible".^[120] In an article published inThe New York Times in April 2018, historian Alex von Tunzelmann stated that "no doubt, the advocates of reviving Britain's links with Canada, Australia and New Zealand can cite myriad reasons that have nothing to do with racism to explain why some other nations are just different. Still, majority-nonwhite nations will notice if they are treated as them rather than us, because this will not be the first time that has happened."^[121]

In academia, Duncan Bell criticises contemporary 'Anglospheric discourse' and concludes that modern political commentary is "a pale imitation of previous iterations", lacking support across the political spectrum.^[122] International affairs professor Srdjan Vucetic expands on this idea further, describing CANZUK as "the latest variant of a long line of projects seeking to consolidate the British settler empire, projects that were until deep into the second half of the twentieth century justified in explicitly racist terms" and questioned the viability of a CANZUK defence pact without the inclusion of the United States, as in theFive Eyes andABCANZ alliances.^[123]

On a visit to Australia in September 2019,Liz Truss, then the UK International Trade Secretary, stated that the British government would raise free movement between Australia and the UK during post-Brexit negotiations for a free-trade agreement.^[124]

In January 2020, it was reported that Australia'sMorrison government was opposed to expanding freedom of movement between Australia and the UK. Australian trade ministerSimon Birmingham had said he "can't imagine full and unfettered free movement" would be discussed during post-Brexit negotiations for a free-trade agreement.^[125] Former Australian prime ministerScott Morrison had earlier said in September 2019 that "the New Zealand arrangement is quite unique and it's not one we would probably ever contemplate extending".^[126]

This section needs to beupdated. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information.(April 2021)

Although it has maintained a level of support, the concept of CANZUK is generally regarded as highly polarised between the political left and right.^[127][128] While it has been praised byBritish nationalists for being an alternative to theEuropean Union,^[129] the proposed union has been critiqued by those on the left. Examples of this are by unfavourably comparing CANZUK to the EU, or criticising it as being racist for solely combining the United Kingdom and three of its five former "whitedominions", to the exclusion of other Anglophone countries where people from the United Kingdom formerly settled, such asIndia,South Africa,Singapore andNigeria.^{[123][130][131][132]}

Public opinion polling conducted by research firmYouGov in 2015 found that 58 per cent of British people would support freedom of movement and work between the citizens of the United Kingdom and the citizens of Australia, Canada and New Zealand, with 19 per cent opposed to the idea and 23 per cent undecided, with support for the proposals found in all fourcountries of the United Kingdom.^[133] The research also found that British people valued free mobility between the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada and New Zealand more than they valued free mobility between the United Kingdom and the European Union at 46 per cent to 35 per cent.^[134] Opinion polls from other firms was not published.

Opinion poll surveys commissioned by theRoyal Commonwealth Society in 2016 found that 70 per cent of Australians said they were supportive of the proposal, with 10 per cent opposed to it; 75 per cent of Canadians said they supported the idea and 15 per cent were opposed to it and 82 per cent of New Zealanders stated that they supported the idea, with 10 per cent opposed.^[134] All of the respective provinces, states and territories of Australia, Canada and New Zealand registered majority support for the proposals.^[134]

Further polling of 2,000 people conducted in January 2017 found support for free movement of people and goods with certain limitations on citizens claiming tax-funded payments on entry across Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the United Kingdom, with undecideds included. Counting undecideds as giving support makes these results somewhat questionable. Support in Australia was at 72 per cent, 77 per cent in Canada, 81 per cent in New Zealand and 64 per cent in the United Kingdom.^[135][136]

A survey carried out by CANZUK International consisting of 13,600 respondents from Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the United Kingdom conducted between January and March 2018 found increased support for reciprocal free trade and movement of people between the countries when compared to 2017, with support at 73 per cent in Australia (up 1 per cent); 76 per cent in Canada (down 1 per cent); 82 per cent in New Zealand (up 1 per cent); and 68 per cent in the United Kingdom (up 4 per cent).^[137] The opinion polling indicated greater support for the proposals in theNorth andSouth Islands of New Zealand at 83 per cent and 81 per cent support respectively;British Columbia andOntario in Canada at 82 per cent and 80 per cent support respectively; andNew South Wales andVictoria in Australia at 79 per cent support each, while lesser support was observed inQuebec in Canada at 63 per cent support;England,Northern Ireland,Wales andScotland in the United Kingdom at 72 per cent, 64 per cent, 70 per cent and 66 per cent support respectively; andWestern Australia at 65 per cent support.^[138]

International relations

• Australia–Canada relations
• Australia–New Zealand relations
• Australia–United Kingdom relations
• Canada–New Zealand relations
• Canada–United Kingdom relations
• New Zealand–United Kingdom relations

• CANZUK
• Anglosphere
• Australia and the Commonwealth of Nations
• Canada and the Commonwealth of Nations
• New Zealand and the Commonwealth of Nations
• United Kingdom and the Commonwealth of Nations
• Australian migration law
• Commonwealth of Nations
• Commonwealth realms
• Freedom of movement
• Immigration to Australia
• Immigration to Canada
• Immigration to New Zealand
• Immigration to the United Kingdom
• Migration-related organizations
• Proposed international organizations
• Migration-related organizations based in Canada

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