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5. Australian - New Zealand Relations The bonds between Australia and New Zealand are at once as necessary and as strong as at no previous time in the short history of the two countries. They are necessary because both countries face common problems in the same geographical area, both, as the war showed, have almost the same strategic problems, and both, being within the orbit of the sterling area, have similar economic problems. They are strong because of the similarity of policy on essential matters of external affairs, because of frequent interchange of information and opinion and because of a fundamental respect for the other's point of view. The domestic needs and obligations of each country are sufficient to ensure individuality in external policy. But the external factors which shape the foreign policies of both countries bear with equal stress upon each and frequently evoke similar responses. Both countries will look with disquiet towards Japan for many years, both have island peoples entrusted to their care, and both are closely bound by ties of race and tradition to the United Kingdom and the British Commonwealth. The governmental machinery by which collaboration and consultation is facilitated is to be found on three levels, which were outlined in the Australian - New Zealand Agreement of January, 1944. At the top, by the method of Ministerial visits and consultations ; next, on a departmental level through the liaison of experts in all branches of administration; and, lastly, in respect, principally, of external policy through the daily functioning of the Australian - New Zealand Secretariats in the Departments of External Affairs at Canberra and Wellington. The New Zealand Government is represented in Australia by the High Commissioner in Canberra, and in matters of trade, travel, and publicity by the Trade Commissioners and Travel Managers in Sydney and Melbourne. The Australian Government have similar representation in Wellington. Representatives of the defence forces have been exchanged and, in regard to civil aviation, both Governments are directly interested in the functioning of Tasman Empire Airways and British Commonwealth Pacific Airlines. The international responsibilities which are entailed for New Zealand and Australia by their membership of United Nations emphasize the need for such collaboration. In the General Assembly and the Security Council it remains necessary to uphold the rights of smaller nations. In Trusteeship Council decisions New Zealand and Australia, as the administering authorities most recently developed from colonial status, can speak with a voice likely to be acceptable to both administering and non-administering powers. In the