2025 Forum – Sydney, Australia
Australia-Canada Economic Forum 2023 | CPAC.ca
Home page to find all resources and videos about the 2023 AusCan Forum.
Australia-Canada Economic Forum 2023: Political Leaders Deliver Remarks | Public Record | CPAC.ca
The Australia-Canada Economic Leadership Forum meets for its 8th edition in Toronto. The forum brings together over 150 business and government leaders from the two countries to discuss public policy issues. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Ontario Premier Doug Ford, Australian Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus, Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow and Ontario Minister of Mines George Pirie address the forum throughout the three-day event. (July 17 and 18, 2023)
Australia-Canada Economic Forum 2023 | CPAC Special | CPAC.ca
CPAC’s Michael Serapio goes behind the scenes at the recent Australia-Canada Economic Forum and speaks with Australian Co-chair Julie Bishop, Canadian Co-chair John Baird, Canadian Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry François-Philippe Champagne, Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe, Australian Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus, and Ontario Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade Vic Fedeli, as they discuss ways to increase trade and economic cooperation between the two countries. This 60-minute special presentation also features keynote speeches from Ontario Premier Doug Ford and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. (July 18, 2023)
PM Trudeau Addresses Australia-Canada Economic Forum – July 18, 2023 | Headline Politics | CPAC.ca
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau delivers a keynote speech at the Australia-Canada Economic Leadership Forum in Toronto. The forum brings together over 150 business and government leaders from the two countries to discuss public policy issues.
CPAC anchor Michael Serapio and Ontario Minister of Economic Development Vic Fedeli discuss the province’s growing auto sector, transition to a green economy and plan to foster economic growth in the region. (July 19, 2023)
In a fireside chat with Globe and Mail columnist Tony Keller, Innovation, Science and Industry Minister François-Philippe Champagne and Australia’s Regional Development Minister Kristy McBain discuss the significance of critical mineral mining for the growth of the auto sector, cross border trade and ways to strengthen the Australia-Canada economic partnership. (July 18, 2023)
John Baird, Canada’s foreign affairs minister from 2011 to 2015, joins CPAC’s Michael Serapio to talk Canada-Australia relations and bilateral trade. This interview took place in Toronto at the 2023 Australia-Canada Economic Leadership Forum. Baird co-chairs the forum with former Australian foreign affairs minister Julie Bishop. (July 18, 2023)
Julie Bishop, Australia’s foreign affairs minister from 2013 to 2018, joins CPAC’s Michael Serapio to discuss Canada-Australia relations, China, and the AUKUS security pact – which Canada has not been invited to join. This interview took place in Toronto at the 2023 Australia-Canada Economic Leadership Forum. Bishop co-chairs the forum with former Canadian foreign affairs minister John Baird. (July 18, 2023)
Australian Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus talks with CPAC’s Michael Serapio about Australia’s journey of reconciliation with Indigenous people. A referendum is expected later this year on the Australian government’s constitutional amendment to create the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice. The new body would give First Peoples more input to Australia’s Parliament and government on the laws and policies affecting them. This interview took place in Toronto at the 2023 Australia-Canada Economic Leadership Forum. (July 18, 2023)
Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe and CPAC’s Michael Serapio talk about agriculture, the future of food production, and what Canada and Australia can learn from each other with global food supplies under threat. This interview took place in Toronto at the 2023 Australia-Canada Economic Leadership Forum. (July 18, 2023)
Australia-Canada economic forum in Toronto seeks to deepen two-way ties
The Globe and Mail – July 14, 2023
Canada and Australia are two peas in a pod
The Peak – July 15, 2023
Five things to watch for in the Canadian business world in the coming week (July 17-21)
The Canadian Press, syndicated in Business in Vancouver – July 17, 2023
Canada’s standard of living is falling behind rest of developed world
Financial Post – July 17, 2023
Five things to watch for in the Canadian business world in the coming week
Associated Press, syndicated in Oak Bay News – July 17, 2023
Jagmeet Singh in Hamilton to chat with local renters, join striking NSC workers on the picket line
iPolitics – July 18, 2023
Shuffle speculation? Ours. Yours.
Politico – July 18, 2023
Poilievre ally calls Trudeau one of the ‘most successful’ politicians of his generation
CBC News – July 18, 2023
Trudeau calls for deeper co-operation with ‘like-minded partner’ Australia
The Globe and Mail – July 18, 2023
Justin Trudeau’s keynote speech at the AusCan forum
CBC News – July 18, 2023
Justin Trudeau’s keynote speech at the AusCan forum
CTV News – July 18, 2023
Justin Trudeau’s keynote speech at the AusCan forum
CP24 – July 18, 2023
GG has come to embody the extravagant hypocrisy of our Liberal elite
National Post – July 19, 2023
John Baird says his introduction of Trudeau was ‘manipulated’ by CBC
National Post – July 19, 2023
Former Tory minister says CBC spinning information for Trudeau
Western Standard – July 19, 2023
Baird, Former Tory Minister, Slams CBC for Misrepresenting his Views on Trudeau
The Epoch Times – July 19, 2023
CBC gives Conservatives more reasons to defund them with Baird report
Edmonton Sun – July 19, 2023
Canada and Australia strive to solve mutual challenges from space
The Globe and Mail – July 19, 2023
Canada-Australia partnership could be ‘powerful’: Julie Bishop at leadership forum
The Sydney Morning Herald – July 19, 2023
NewsTalk Regina – John Gormley Live (CJME)
NewsTalk CJME – July 20, 2023
Trudeau NYC bound to promote rule of law, honour European Commission
Canadian Press, syndicated by Postmedia network – July 20, 2023
Let business lead on energy transition, AusCan Forum hears, while Trudeau touts values
The Northern Miner – July 20, 2023
Let business lead on energy transition, AusCan Forum hears, while Trudeau touts values
The Northern Miner – July 20, 2023
Former Tory minister calls out CBC for ‘spinning’ news in favour of Trudeau
Rebel News – July 20, 2023
Voice to parliament: Mark Dreyfus optimistic referendum will overcome opposition
The Sydney Morning Herald – July 20, 2023
The Globe and Mail – July 21, 2023
Business lobby warns Australia risks falling behind as US mounts green revolution
The Sydney Morning Herald – July 22, 2023
BHP keen to accelerate critical minerals development
Australian Mining – July 23, 2023
AusCan Forum episode on The Peak Podcast
AM900 CHML – July 24, 2023
2023 Australia-Canada Economic Leadership Forum Organising Committee
Canadian Co-Chair:
Hon. John R. Baird
Senior Advisor, Bennet Jones LLP; Former Senior Cabinet Minister, Government of Canada
Australian Co-Chair:
Hon. Julie Bishop
Principal, Julie Bishop & Partners; Chancellor of Australian National University; and Former Australia Minister for Foreign Affairs
Members:
Sam Boutziouvis
Vice-President,Government Relations and Multilateral Development Institutions, SNC-Lavalin Group Inc.
Tabatha Bull
President & Chief Executive Officer, Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business
Julian Ovens
Vice-President, Crestview Strategy
Patrick Creaghan
Managing Director and Chief Operating Officer, ATCO Australia
His Excellency Mark Glauser
Canadian High Commissioner to Australia, Government of Canada
Jean-Étienne Leroux
Managing Director, Australia and New Zealand, Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec
The Hon. Scott Ryan
Australian High Commissioner to Canada, Government of Australia
Bob Onyschuk
Chief Executive, Onyschuk Strategic Advisors and President and Chief Executive Officer, Australia-Canada Economic Leadership Forum
Paul Oppenheim
Non-Executive Director, Plenary
Mark Romoff
President, MRInsights Inc. and Former President and Chief Executive Officer, Canadian Council for Public-Private Partnerships
Norman Steinberg
Vice-Chair, BFL Canada
Portia Maier
Barrister-at-Law and former Australian Consul-General and Senior Trade & Investment Commissioner to Canada
John Tory
Senior Vice President, Business Development & Government Relation, Dexterra Group
Executive Director:
Lori DeGraw
Director of Events and Communications:
Tannis Wengel
The 8th Australia-Canada Economic Leadership Forum
July 17-19, 2023, Toronto, Canada
Program
Theme: Sustainability, Recovery and Growth Post-Pandemic
Major topics to be addressed during panel sessions:
Indo-Pacific Region ● China ● Climate Change and Energy● Trade and Security
JULY 17, 2023 – OPENING EVENING
FOUR SEASONS HOTEL – TORONTO
3:00pm – 5:30pm. CONFERENCE REGISTRATION
5:30 p.m. – 5:45 p.m. Board Executive Coaches for Opening Dinner
ROYAL ONTARIO MUSEUM (ROM)
6:00pm – 7:00pm FORUM OPENING RECEPTION (AND OPPORTUNITY TO VIEW THE T.REX: THE ULTIMATE PREDATOR EXHIBIT AND THE MINERALS GALLERY)
Land Acknowledgement and Presentation: Red Sky Performance
7:00pm – 9:00pm FORUM OPENING DINNER & THE AUSCAN AWARDS – TOP 6 INNOVATORS UNDER 40
Thank you/Introduction of Hon. George Pirie: Hon John R.Baird, Canadian Co-Chair
Opening Welcoming Remarks: Hon. Doug Ford, Premier of Ontario introduced by the Hon. George Pirie
Thank you by: Hon. Julie Bishop, Australian Co-Chair
9:00 p.m. – 9:15 p.m. Board Executive Coaches for Four Seasons Hotel
JULY 18, 2023 – DAY ONE SESSIONS
FOUR SEASONS HOTEL – TORONTO, ARIA BALLROOM
6:30am – 7:45am BUFFET BREAKFAST
7:45am – 9:00am OPENING REMARKS
Final call to seating, housekeeping, and introduction of elders: Lori DeGraw
Land Acknowledgement and Welcome to Toronto: Elder Bob Phillips & Mayor Olivia Chow (TBC)
Welcome to the Australia-Canada Economic Leadership Forum:
Hon. John R. Baird, Canadian Co-Chair and
Hon. Julie Bishop, Australian Co-Chair
Introduction of Guest Speaker: Hon Julie Bishop, Australian Co-Chair
Keynote Speaker: Hon Mark Dreyfus KC MP, Attorney -General, Government of Australia
Thank you by: Hon. Julie Bishop, Australian Co-Chair
Scene-Setting Presentation: Geopolitics and Post COVID-19 Pandemic
Jennifer Westacott AO, Chief Executive, Business Council of Australia
9:00am – 9:15am Networking Session
9:15am – 10:25am SESSION 1: THE INDO-PACIFIC REGION
– Indo-Pacific Regional Trade: CPTTP; RCEP; ASEAN, Indonesia; etc.
– Indo-Pacific Strategies: Compare how Canada, Australia approaches the region
– Australian and Canadian companies doing business/expanding in the region – short case studies
– How to solve the infrastructure deficit across the region, ex: private sector investment
Moderator: Janice Stein, Co-Chair of the Canadian Govt’s Advisory Committee on the Indo-Pacific Region, Belzberg Professor of Conflict Management, University of Toronto
Panellists:
Goldy Hyder, President and Chief Executive Officer, Business Council of Canada
Mairead Lavery, President & CEO, Export Development Canada
Rag Udd, President of Minerals America, BHP
Jennifer Westacott AO, Chief Executive, Business Council of Australia
10:25am – 11:35am SESSION 2: CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN CYBER
– The Cyber threat landscape in the post-pandemic world,
– Emerging technologies – Opportunities and preparedness
– Cyber and economic resilience, agility and alliances
– Cyber as an economic enabler/disabler for organizational and country strategies
Moderator: Greta Bossenmaier, Former Chief, Communications Security Establishment and former National Security and Intelligence Advisor to the Prime Minister
Panellists:
Tobias Feakin, Former Ambassador for Cyber Affairs and Critical Technology, Australian Government
Ira Goldstein, Founder & CEO, Kernel Advisory
Sami Khoury, Head, CSE Cyber Centre
Stela Solar, Director National Artificial Intelligence Centre, CSIRO
11:35am – 11:50am Networking Session (All delegates must exit ballroom)
11:50am – 11:55am Delegates return to ballroom
11:55am – 12:15pm Introduction of Guest Speaker: Hon. Julie Bishop, Australia Co-Chair
Keynote Speaker: The Rt.Hon. Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada
Thank you by: Hon. John R. Baird, Canadian Co-Chair
12:15pm – 1:00pm LUNCH
1:00pm – 2:15pm SESSION 3: FOOD SECURITY AND TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCEMENTS OF AGRICULTURE
– Food insecurity is a global threat due to war, climate change and export bans – global hunger is on the rise
– What technological and scientific innovations are in the works and needed to help increase agriculture production while lowering environmental costs?
Moderator: Scott Moe, Premier of Saskatchewan
Panellists:
Murad Al-Katib, President and Chief Executive Officer, AGT Food and Ingredients Inc.
Rob Clayton, Senior Vice President North America Retail, Nutrien
Professor Michelle Colgrave, Deputy Director, Agriculture and Food, CSIRO
Elizabeth O’Leary, Executive Director Head of Agriculture & Natural Assets, Macquarie Asset Management (MAM) Australia Limited
2:15pm – 3:30pm SESSION 4: INDIGENOUS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
– What is needed to achieve prosperous Indigenous economies?
– Update on the Government of Canada Trade Policy Review
– Integrating Indigenous perspectives in binational trade agreements
– Learnings from other countries
– Infrastructure development
– Update on the Australia-Canada Indigenous Economic Partnership
Moderator: Tabatha Bull, President & CEO, Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business
Panellists:
Wayne Garnons-Williams, Chair, International Intertribal Trade and Investment Organization
Hillary Thatcher, Senior Director, Indigenous and Northern Infrastructure at Canada Infrastructure Bank
Ken Wyatt, Former Minister for Indigenous Australians and Board Member, Energy Resources Australia
Professor Peter Yu, Vice-President First Nations at the Australian National University
3:30pm – 4:00pm COFFEE BREAK
4:00pm – 5:15pm SESSION 5: INFRASTRUCTURE: KEY CHALLENGES FOR SUCCESSFUL DELIVERY
– Key challenges in the infrastructure world and how to get them right
– Building the next generation of infrastructure that responds to the realities of climate change and sustainability
– Partnering with Indigenous Communities
– Post COVID-19 impact on the industry: lack of skilled labour, supply chain issues, project costs, etc.
Moderator: Mark Romoff, President, MRInsights, Former President and CEO, Canadian Council of Public-Private Partnerships and Australia-Canada Economic Leadership Forum Board Director
Panellists:
Ben Almond, CEO, Engineering Services Canada, SNC-Lavalin
Sherry Duhe, Interim CEO, Newcrest Mining Ltd.
Niilo Edwards, CEO, First Nations Major Project Coalition
Jennifer Stace, Assistant Secretary, Commonwealth Infrastructure Projects, Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communication and the Arts
GLOBE AND MAIL CENTRE
6:00 pm – 9:00 pm RECEPTION, FIRESIDE CHAT, & DINNER
Final call to seating, housekeeping and introduction of Elders: Lori DeGraw
Welcome and introduction of Guest Speaker: Hon Julie Bishop
Moderator: Tony Keller, Staff Columnist, The Globe and Mail
Guest Speaker: Hon. François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science, and Industry of Canada AND Hon Kristy McBain MP, minister for Regional Development, Local Government, and Territories
Thank you: Hon. John R. Baird
9:00 pm – 9:15pm Board executive coaches en route to Four Seasons Hotel, Toronto
JULY 19, 2023 – DAY TWO SESSIONS
FOUR SEASONS HOTEL, TORONTO, ARIA BALLROOM
6:30am – 8:00am BUFFET BREAKFAST
8:00am – 8:10am Introduction of Next Panel Session: Hon Julie Bishop, Australian Co-Chair
8:10am – 8:15am Reset for Panel
8:15am – 9:30am SESSION 6: SPACE AND PRIVATE SECTOR INVESTMENT
– Transformational changes are happening in Space driven by new technology and private sector investment – there are thousands of satellites providing communications services, navigational tools, monitoring weather, observing the universe, and more
– Once the business of the superpowers’ space agencies, it’s now mostly done by consortia and private sector investment
– Canada and Australia’s role in the Space sector, and where is it going?
Moderator: Professor Brian Schmidt, Vice-Chancellor & President, ANU
Panellists:
Brian Gallant, CEO, Space Canada
Marc Garneau, Former Astronaut and Former MP, Notre-Dame-de-Grâce -Westmount
Professor Anna Moore, Director of InSpace ANU
Lisa Kewley, Director, Center for Astrophysics – Harvard & Smithsonian. Professor of Astrophysics at the Harvard Department of Astronomy
9:30am – 10:15am Introduction of Guest Speakers: Hon. John R. Baird, Canadian Co-Chair
SESSION 7: FIRESIDE CHAT
A discussion with Hon. Vic Fedeli, Ontario MPP, Chair Cabinet, Minister of Economic Development, Job creation and Trade
Moderator: Michael Serapio, CPAC English Anchor, Host of “Prime Time Politics” and “Profile with Michael Serapio”
10:15am – 10:25am SPECIAL PRESENTATION,
10:25am – 11:15am COFFEE BREAK, AND NETWORKING
11:15am – 12:30pm SESSION 8: CLIMATE CHANGE AND ENERGY
– Climate Change 2050 is now 2030 – what does this mean for business and how will it affect industry sectors?
– Decarbonization: What investment is needed, and private sector initiatives and new technologies?
– Clean Tech: Nuclear, Hydrogen, etc.
Moderator: Nancy Southern, Chair, President & Chief Executive Officer of ATCO Ltd.
Panellists:
John Beck, Executive Chair, Aecon Group Inc.
Hon Kristy McBain MP, Minister for Regional Development, Local Government, and Territories
Donald Sadoway, Founder, Scientific Advisor, and Board Member at Ambri and Boston Metal; Founder of Sadoway Labs, Avanti Battery, Pure Lithium, and Lunar Resources
Ivan Vella, Chief Executive Aluminium, Rio Tinto
12:30pm – 2:30pm CLOSING LUNCH
Concluding Remarks:
His Excellency Mark Glauser, Canadian High Commissioner to Australia
and
His Excellency Hon. Scott Ryan, Australian High Commissioner to Canada
Co-Chairs’ Closing Remarks and Thank You:
Hon. John R. Baird, Canadian Co-Chair and
Hon. Julie Bishop, Australian Co-Chair
A SPECIAL THANKS TO THE GOVERNMENTS OF CANADA AND AUSTRALIA FOR THEIR FUNDING SUPPORT:
THANK YOU TO ALL OUR 2025 FORUM SPONSORS
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