▁Sydney . ▁ ▁The ▁sudden ▁vig our ▁of ▁this ▁relationship ▁caught ▁both ▁countries ▁by ▁surprise . ▁In ▁both ▁capit als ▁officials ▁seemed ▁una ware ▁of ▁the ▁complete ▁range ▁of ▁bil ater al ▁contacts ▁and ▁the ▁possibilities ▁for ▁further ▁co operation . ▁As ▁a ▁consequence , ▁neither ▁Australia ▁nor ▁Canada ▁seemed ▁able ▁to ▁measure ▁the ▁importance ▁of ▁individual ▁issues ▁against ▁the ▁value ▁of ▁the ▁entire ▁relationship . ▁As ▁the ▁long ▁post war ▁economic ▁bo om ▁gave ▁way ▁to ▁a ▁series ▁of ▁rec urr ing ▁economic ▁challeng es ▁in ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 9 7 0 s , ▁both ▁govern ments ▁t ended ▁to ▁scratch ▁out ▁economic ▁advantage ▁where ▁they ▁could . ▁While ▁Ott awa ▁bar red ▁the ▁import ation ▁of ▁Australian ▁meat ▁to ▁protect ▁Canadian ▁far mers , ▁Can ber ra ▁denied ▁Canadian ▁air lines ▁landing ▁rights ▁in ▁Australia . ▁Some ▁officials ▁wor ried ▁that ▁the ▁web ▁of ▁connections ▁that ▁bound ▁the ▁two ▁countries ▁together ▁might ▁be ▁sever ed ▁one ▁at ▁a ▁time ▁without ▁anyone ▁ever ▁not icing . ▁ ▁The ▁solution ▁clearly ▁lay ▁in ▁creating ▁some ▁kind ▁of ▁mechanism ▁that ▁would ▁ensure ▁that ▁individual ▁issues , ▁however ▁important ▁in ▁themselves , ▁were ▁placed ▁within ▁the ▁context ▁of ▁the ▁bro ader ▁relationship . ▁Australian ▁officials ▁agreed . ▁When ▁the ▁Australian ▁foreign ▁minister , ▁Andrew ▁Pe ac ock , ▁expressed ▁keen ▁interest ▁in ▁expl oring ▁new ▁bil ater al ▁initi atives ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 0 , ▁Canada ▁seized ▁the ▁occasion ▁to ▁press ▁for ▁a ▁formal ▁mechanism ▁that ▁would ▁provide ▁overall ▁direction . ▁Australia