EDITORIAL: Middle power mateship makes sense but has limits
Should the unthinkable happen and Australia come under direct military threat, it is a sure bet that it will not be a middle power that Australia turns to for help.
The pace of modern warfare is such that a week seems like a very long time.
It seems hard to believe it was less than a week ago that the United States and Israel launched military action to bring to account the brutal Iranian regime, which has a long record of state-sponsored terrorism, including attacks in Australia.
Latest developments indicate a new phase of the war is under way, as Iran continues to lash out all around the region.
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By continuing you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy.On Thursday it was revealed NATO air defences shot down an Iranian ballistic missile headed for Turkey.
It was reported that Kurdish Iranian dissident groups based in northern Iraq had begun cross-border military operations in Iran, and the US had asked Iraqi Kurds to support them.
And footage was released of a US submarine sinking an Iranian warship off Sri Lanka — prompting questions about whether any Australian personnel were on board being trained how to operate nuclear-powered submarines as part of the AUKUS program.
It was with this developing backdrop that Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney — on a visit to Australia — called for middle powers to unite.
The Canadian leader told parliamentarians on Thursday that amid a world engulfed by “great power rivalry”, middle powers have a choice — “compete for favour or combine for strength”.
Mr Carney highlighted critical minerals, defence capabilities, artificial intelligence and capital as areas where Australia and Canada could work together.
Canada and Australia are members of the Five Eyes intelligence alliance, along with the US, UK and New Zealand.
And so it was notable that Australia and Canada had both swiftly supported the strikes on Iran, while European nations and the UK were lukewarm and urged restraint.
Britain’s Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer had refused to permit the use of UK bases for the initial US-Israel strikes on Iran — leading US President Donald Trump to declare the British leader was “no Winston Churchill”.
Addressing the media on Wednesday, Mr Carney said Canada was “taking the world as it is, not passively waiting for a world we wish to be”.
Canada supported efforts to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon and prevent its regime from threatening international peace and security.
“Despite decades of United Nations Security Council resolutions, the tireless work of the International Atomic Energy Agency, and a succession of sanctions and diplomatic frameworks, Iran’s nuclear threat remains,” Mr Carney said.
That was the kind of clarity which western nations need to keep front of mind as the war escalates.
The idea of middle powers like Australia and Canada working together makes sense on many levels — while keeping our national interests at the heart of our participation.
But should the unthinkable happen and Australia come under direct military threat, it is a sure bet that it will not be a middle power that Australia turns to for help.
The first call from The Lodge will be to the White House.
