▁f ret ▁that ▁" Austral ia ▁[ w ould ] ▁ste al ▁a ▁march ▁over ▁us " ▁by ▁assuming ▁the ▁lead ▁in ▁Commonwealth ▁discuss ions ▁on ▁Southern ▁Africa . ▁Many ▁Canadian ▁obser vers ▁though ▁were ▁excited ▁by ▁the ▁re - est ab lish ment ▁of ▁Australia ▁as ▁a ▁middle ▁power ▁willing ▁to ▁act ▁construct ively ▁and ▁decis ively . ▁Australia ' s ▁en hanced ▁profile ▁in ▁the ▁Pacific ▁confirmed ▁Ott awa ' s ▁incl ination ▁to ▁view ▁Australia ▁as ▁an ▁increasing ly ▁important ▁partner ▁in ▁Canada ' s ▁efforts ▁to ▁increase ▁trade ▁with ▁Japan ▁and ▁to ▁ensure ▁regional ▁stability ▁by ▁supporting ▁such ▁organizations ▁as ▁A SE AN . ▁During ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 9 7 0 s ▁and ▁early ▁ 1 9 8 0 s , ▁Canada ▁and ▁Australia ▁found ▁themselves ▁comfort ably ▁aligned ▁not ▁only ▁when ▁dealing ▁with ▁such ▁Pacific ▁questions ▁as ▁Camb odia ' s ▁civil ▁war , ▁but ▁also ▁when ▁confront ed ▁by ▁cr ises ▁in ▁Southern ▁Africa , ▁Afghan istan ▁and ▁Poland . ▁ ▁This ▁successful ▁mult il ater al ▁partners hip ▁had ▁its ▁bil ater al ▁dimension ▁as ▁official ▁and ▁uno fficial ▁contacts ▁between ▁the ▁two ▁countries ▁multip lied ▁in ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 9 7 0 s . ▁G row ing ▁interest ▁in ▁each ▁other ' s ▁cultural ▁and ▁intellectual ▁life , ▁for ▁example , ▁led ▁to ▁the ▁creation ▁of ▁the ▁Canada – Austral ia ▁Liter ary ▁Award ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 6 . ▁At ▁the ▁same ▁time , ▁compar ative ▁studies ▁in ▁the ▁two ▁countries