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Stephen Harper has a kindred spirit in Australia once more, say political observers.
Prime Minister Tony Abbott’s Sept. 7 election win brought promises to scrap Australia’s carbon tax, crack down on sea-arriving asylum seekers, and merge the country’s international development portfolio with foreign affairs and international trade.
The “uncanny” similarities between the two leaders, as one former Canadian high commissioner to Australia called it, is causing Canadian political pundits to have a déjà vu moment. Former conservative Australian prime minister John Howard, who appointed Mr. Abbott to his cabinet in 2001, was known to be close with Mr. Harper. Mr. …
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