WELCOME FROM THE PRESIDENT AND CEO
Welcome to the Australia-Canada Economic Leadership Forum Website!
The Australia-Canada Economic Leadership Forum (AusCan Forum) is the premier leadership dialogue between Australia and Canada. It was formed in 2010, and since that time, every 18 months, brings together, by invitation only, about 150 leaders from government, and the public and private sectors for high level discussions – with Prime Ministers, Ministers and Deputy Ministers, and CEOs of major private sector firms and institutions from both countries – to exchange views on the important issues and priorities of the day which affect our two countries.
The AusCan Forum has enjoyed growing success with each Forum, as is witnessed by the growth in numbers of those wishing to attend and the strong growth in sponsors who help make each Forum happen. The two-way investment between the two nations is over AUD$200B according to Australian government statistics.[1]
The 2023 Forum will take place in Toronto, Ontario. For further information regarding our previous Forums, please click on the tab above. We hope you find our website interesting and informative.
Bob Onyschuk, Q.C.
President and Chief Executive Officer
About the Forum
The Australia-Canada Economic Leadership Forum is a Canadian non-profit corporation with its headquarters in Toronto, Ontario. It is a nonpartisan organization governed by a volunteer Board of Directors, an Advisory Committee chosen from the private and public sectors of both countries, a President and CEO, Executive Director, and Director of Events and Communications. The AusCan Forum meets every 18 months, and alternates its venues between Canada and Australia. Each Forum brings together 150 leaders from both Australia and Canada to discuss global challenges and opportunities facing our two countries, and to identify where our countries may be able to better collaborate in areas of trade and investment, global security, foreign policy, economic growth, innovation and technology, energy, and education.
The inaugural AusCan Forum took place in Sydney in 2010. Since then, Forum events have been held in Toronto (July 2012), Melbourne (February 2014), Vancouver (July 2015), Sydney (February 2017) and Montreal (July 2018) and Melbourne (February 2020).
The 2023 AusCan Forum will take place in Toronto, Canada.
Mission
The mission of the Forum is to broaden and deepen ties between Australian and Canadian public and private sector leaders and to enhance the framework for sound public policy, economic development, and the regional security of both countries.
Vision
Canada and Australia share common values: we are both charter members of the Commonwealth and of the G20; we have a common heritage of language and democratic freedoms; we have fought side by side in two World Wars and the other major conflicts in the 20th and 21st Centuries. Today it has never been more important for Australia and Canada to stand together as defenders of democracy, global security, multilateral institutions and open markets. In doing so, we can help strengthen our mutual ties, and help grow our respective economies into the 21st Century.