Petition for free movement between Canada, UK, Australia and New Zealand gets 200,000 signatures

Jan 16 2018, 2:42 am

A petition promoting freedom of movement between Canada, Britain, Australia, and New Zealand has gathered 200,000 signatures.

The petition was launched by CANZUK International, a non-profit group which has the following proposals for the four “CANZUK” countries:

  • Citizens of Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom should have the right to live, work and study in each others’ countries
  • That freedom of movement should be based on the Trans-Tasman Travel Agreement between Australia and New Zealand
  • Customs and commerce restrictions should be removed through the establishment of a comprehensive multilateral free trade agreement between the CANZUK countries
  • CANZUK countries should cooperate more on intelligence, defence, and foreign policy, to help the Five Eyes Intelligence Alliance, NATO and the UN Security Council

The right to freedom of movement would mean all CANZUK passport holders could undertake any form of work in the other countries.

However, under CANZUK International’s plan, they would not be able to claim social welfare payments until they had spent four years in their host country.

According to CANZUK, a January 2017 poll of among 2,000 participants showed 77% of Canadians support freedom of movement with Britain, Australia, and New Zealand.

Meanwhile, they say, 64% of Brits support it, with 72% of Australians and 81% of Kiwis on board with the idea too.

Canadian and British passports (Norman Chan/Shutterstock)

Canadian and British passports (Norman Chan/Shutterstock)

Same sovereign, same language

The group is not alone in promoting the idea of freedom of movement between Canada, the UK, Australia and New Zealand.

Last year, a report by the Free Enterprise Group said Britain should take advantage of Brexit by offering freedom of movement to Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.

The report, titled Reconnecting with the Commonwealth: the UK’s free trade opportunities, had several suggestions for visa arrangements between the four countries. It also cited British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, and former Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott, who have both backed free trade and movement for the two countries.

Skinner previously told Daily Hive that Britain, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand are economically and socially developed to function under free trade and free movement protocols.

“Canada will be part of our CANZUK negotiations as it shares numerous similarities with Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom; the same Sovereign, the same respect for democracy, the same common law legal system and the same language,” he said.

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Jenni SheppardJenni Sheppard

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