Canada-Australia: Towards a Second Century of Partnership

Lawrence T. Woods is an associate professor of International Studies at
the University of Northern British Columbia and the author of
Asia-Pacific Diplomacy: The Nongovernmental Approach to Regional
Economic Co- operation.

This volume is derived from the 1995 conference of the Association for
Canadian Studies in Australia and New Zealand.

The opening address by Michael Berry, the Canadian High Commissioner in
Australia, will be of interest to followers of the Asia-Pacific region,
given his promotion of the Asia Pacific Economic Co-operation (APEC)
forum as a major link between Australia and Canada. His positive view is
in striking contrast to the public reaction to the 1997 APEC meeting in
Vancouver, a gathering that illustrated the widespread concerns about
APEC in Canada. The Australian or New Zealand view of APEC is not
addressed in these pages, although the introductory section does contain
a chapter by Greg Donaghy on Canadian–Australian relations since the
1890s. This piece is helpful but curiously silent about the works of
Andrew Cooper, and in particular his contribution to Canada Among
Nations: Asia Pacific Face-off.

The second section deals with globalization. In what is perhaps the
best part of the book, issues of immigration, multiculturalism, and
education are considered. Among the highlights of the third section are
Michael Ashby’s review of the Sue Rodriguez case, Nigel Bagnall’s
survey of international baccalaureate programs in Canada, and Kate
Burridge’s study of the Pennsylvania Dutch in Ontario. The papers in
the fourth and final section are concerned with literary and cultural
studies.

While some poor proofreading and strange documentation styles are
sources of distraction, readers with eclectic tastes will likely find a
gem or two in this book.