▁the ▁feder ation ▁of ▁the ▁Australian ▁colon ies ▁in ▁January ▁ 1 9 0 1 . ▁Canadian ▁exp or ters ▁encourag ed ▁Canada ' s ▁Liberal ▁prime ▁minister , ▁Sir ▁Wil fr id ▁Laur ier , ▁to ▁take ▁advantage ▁of ▁these ▁develop ments , ▁which ▁he ▁did ▁by ▁appoint ing ▁a ▁second ▁trade ▁commission er ▁to ▁Australia ▁in ▁ 1 9 0 3 . ▁ ▁The ▁new ▁trade ▁commission er , ▁D . H . ▁Ross , ▁made ▁little ▁progress ▁with ▁the ▁Austral ians . ▁Most ▁of ▁Australia ' s ▁exports ▁to ▁Canada ▁were ▁agricult ural ▁and ▁so ▁were ▁already ▁admitted ▁free ▁of ▁duty ; ▁it ▁had ▁little ▁need ▁for ▁the ▁kind ▁of ▁broad ▁reci pro cal ▁trade ▁deal ▁desired ▁by ▁the ▁Laur ier ▁government . ▁Instead , ▁Australia ▁suggested ▁that ▁the ▁two ▁countries ▁negoti ate ▁an ▁agreement ▁that ▁covered ▁a ▁very ▁limited ▁number ▁of ▁items . ▁Prote ction ist ▁sentiment , ▁whose ▁influence ▁on ▁Australian ▁policy ▁was ▁magn ified ▁by ▁a ▁series ▁of ▁un stable ▁minor ity ▁govern ments , ▁further ▁complicated ▁negoti ations . ▁These ▁drag ged ▁on ▁incon clus ively ▁for ▁much ▁of ▁the ▁de cade , ▁slowly ▁stra ining ▁Canada ' s ▁p atience . ▁When ▁Australia ▁failed ▁to ▁respond ▁prompt ly ▁to ▁a ▁ 1 9 0 9 ▁offer ▁to ▁conclude ▁a ▁treat y ▁on ▁the ▁narrow ▁basis ▁it ▁fav oured , ▁Ross ▁er upt ed ▁with ▁ex as per ation : ▁ ▁" From ▁several ▁success ive ▁Minister s , ▁I ▁have ▁heard ▁[ such ] ▁strong