Free Movement Between, Aus, NZ, UK, Canada

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Never understood why it was made so difficult to emigrate/immigrate to Commonwealth Countries, never used to be. Perhaps it's just not enough 'Multi-Cultural' for our respective Govts. ;)
 
AUS/CAN/NZ/UK should be tightening our relationships on every level: Politically, Economically, Militarily and Culturally. It's a far more logical partnership than our relationship with the EU and working together we'd have enough weight to stand up to the other major players.
 
Got some friends - one NZ, one Aus, 2 kids with UK citizenship. They've since both (the adults) become dual-citizens of the UK... still, absolute pain for them.
 
As UK residents we may want this to happen, but Australia I can see saying a big fat NO to anything related on this.

Petition all you want, this isn't going to happen.


Edit - Fully read it this time.

I wouldn't call this
is calling on politicians in Canada, the U.K., Australia and New Zealand to loosen restrictions
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'Free Movement'.
 
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anything I don't mind said:
http://www.cbc.ca/beta/news/canada/...en-canada-u-k-australia-new-zealand-1.2998105

The Commonwealth Freedom of Movement Organization's petition has already gathered nearly 25,000 online signatures.

Hopefully this goes through, would like to move to these countries. Far more than any European country.
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25,000 isn't really that much.

We currently have a petition for a vote of no confidence in Cameron that has over 100,000. Isn't going to happen though.

It would be pretty liberating to be able to move between said countries though. Culturally, we're not all that different and share the same language and similar histories. That said, I foresee the huge number of people wishing to migrate potentially causing an issue. If it was to go ahead, I'd imagine that it would exist in principle but restrictions would still need to be in place (e.g. economically independent for at least a year).

Imagine for example the issues that would take place between UK-Oz alone. The Oz economy is contracting due to being strongly dependant upon Chinese demand (and their economy is contracting so demand is falling). This means large numbers of Australians in the mining and associated industries will be needing to find work. Many Brits too, dream of a sunnier life down under without realising the subtle differences that the Aussies have to the UK; it is not simply just 'England in the sun'. Australia is expensive, so UK migrants will be in for a financial shock. With the Australian job market being over-burndoned and suffering, some UK citizens are likely to find it hard to find work. That too, skilled migrants will out compete locals likely leading to some tension. Turn it the other way around, Aussies are likely to migrate to the UK in search of a better life for the same reasons. The exact same problems arise.

Our own government happily vilifies genuine need for home-bred welfare as it is, despite how small the piece of the pie is (it's easier to deflect attention away from the top) and is chasing an ideological neo-liberal society of a smaller and smaller state via austerity and privatisation. Do you really think the government will be happy with more mouths to feed when they care so little for those already in the country they're allowing them to die (e.g. DWP's 'fit for work')?

It's a nice idea in the academic and romantic sense. Practically, I don't see it being workable with things as they currently are. Something like this would need a very slow phase in.
 
Nix said:
25,000 isn't really that much.
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https://www.change.org/p/parliament...tween-the-uk-canada-australia-and-new-zealand

91,291

We currently have a petition for a vote of no confidence in Cameron that has over 100,000. Isn't going to happen though.
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Because it's an idiotic petition. We had a general election earlier this year and the Conservatives won. Cameron won. He has the majority of MP's and there is no evidence they've lost confidence in him. The only way Cameron can lose such a motion is if there is a rebellion in his own ranks, which seems incredibly unlikely. What possible reason would they have for dumping him when only a paltry 100,000 signed a petition?

Cosimo said:
Just don't see Australia or Canada agreeing to this.
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I think it could be arranged. Canada and Australia both want to grow their populations, so there is something in it for them. But I suspect any such agreement would need to come with Free Trade and other benefits, which we cannot do as part of the EU.
 
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Thompson_NCL said:
https://www.change.org/p/parliament...tween-the-uk-canada-australia-and-new-zealand

91,291
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I was going by what was said in the OP.

Because it's an idiotic petition. We had a general election earlier this year and the Conservatives won. Cameron won. He has the majority of MP's and there is no evidence they've lost confidence in him. The only way Cameron can lose such a motion is if there is a rebellion in his own ranks, which seems incredibly unlikely. What possible reason would they have for dumping him because a paltry 100,000 signed a petition?
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Conservatives won with a miserly 37% majority.

Cameron has been consistently lying and detrimental to society as a whole (e.g. NHS pay scandal; cutting tax credits) and has lied on his manifesto. Cameron promised he wasn't going to cut tax credits, but it's one of the first things the new government has tried to do. The Tories have been voted in on false premisses.

A vote of no confidence isn't stupid. It's completely justified.

It doesn't however mean that I believe any attention will be paid to it. It's that exact apathy and disenfranchisement that has led to the Tories being voted in this term in the first place (that and a rigged FPTP voting system). Indeed, that disenfranchisement will also mean they'll get away with lying and treating the electorate with contempt to push their ideological agenda because most people are so disillusioned they simply feel powerless to do anything about it any more.
 
Cosimo said:
Just don't see Australia or Canada agreeing to this.
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Would be a backdoor for literally anyone to get into Oz, they'd just have to spend 5 years or more here first (to get their naturalised citizenship).

So they'd be opening their doors to all EU citizens for a start, since any of them can come here at any time. And with the EU wanting to keep expanding, taking in Turkey, etc...

Not happening, is it :p
 
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