0 . ▁When ▁combined ▁with ▁Australia ' s ▁decision ▁to ▁lift ▁the ▁last ▁of ▁its ▁import ▁restrictions , ▁its ▁effect ▁on ▁trade ▁was ▁dram atic . ▁In ▁three ▁years , ▁Canadian ▁exports ▁to ▁Australia ▁almost ▁double d ▁from ▁$ 5 4 . 2 ▁million ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 9 ▁to ▁$ 1 0 5 ▁million ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 2 . ▁By ▁ 1 9 6 4 , ▁they ▁had ▁jump ed ▁to ▁almost ▁$ 1 4 6 ▁million . ▁ ▁With ▁Com mer cial ▁relations ▁growing ▁progress ively ▁closer , ▁the ▁two ▁countries ' ▁political ▁object ives ▁began ▁to ▁diver ge . ▁In ▁part , ▁this ▁was ▁caused ▁by ▁the ▁changing ▁importance ▁the ▁post war ▁Commonwealth ▁played ▁in ▁each ▁country ' s ▁foreign ▁policy . ▁The ▁Australian ▁prime ▁minister ▁seemed ▁especially ▁unh appy ▁with ▁the ▁modern ▁Commonwealth . ▁The ▁acc ession ▁of ▁large ▁numbers ▁of ▁Asian ▁and ▁African ▁countries ▁had ▁destroyed ▁the ▁comfortable ▁club ▁of ▁the ▁inter - war ▁period . ▁In ▁M enz ies ' ▁view , ▁the ▁Commonwealth ▁had ▁been ▁" mod ern ized ▁out ▁of ▁existence " ▁and ▁transformed ▁into ▁something ▁that ▁" no ▁longer ▁express es ▁unity ▁but ▁exists ▁chief ly ▁to ▁vent il ate ▁differences ." ▁In ▁contrast , ▁Canada ▁emb rac ed ▁the ▁bo ister ous ▁and ▁multi ra cial ▁Commonwealth ▁as ▁an ▁integral ▁part ▁of ▁its ▁foreign ▁policy . ▁It ▁promised ▁the ▁more ▁established ▁country ▁a ▁forum ▁in ▁which ▁to ▁exercise ▁its ▁influence ▁and ▁offered ▁access ▁to ▁new ▁pers pect ives ▁on ▁international