I have always thought that AUS and NZ should merge to present a better 'power bloc'. Wins on many levels:

Currency stability
Economic benefits
Cultural synergy
Constitutional Monarchies
Defence Benefits and Projection
Skills Interchange

Only problem is getting AUS and NZ'ers to agree !!

Arc

Stanwell,

Yes, have been to Indonesia (though as a tourist) and to Australia and NZ as well.

If you mean that Indonesia is very poor and currently cannot be considered as a threat to neighbours, I fully agree. But things are changing, sometimes rapidly and not in favourable directions.
Plus, sometimes tension may rise quickly as a result of not really serious issues, e.g.

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/18/wo...rols.html?_r=0

We all know that many arab countries where some 5 years ago Europeans could easily travel through/around just in a rented car, are now dangerous to visit even in groups and not leaving resort zones. To say nothing about those in chaos and civil wars.

Arc,

That's a sh1t idea.

The Northern Hemisphere rugby union teams wouldn't stand a chance against a combined Aussie/Kiwi team!

Never even considered sports at this early stage of negotiations

Arc

Indonesians are about as anti-Chinese as anyone you could ever meet - every time there's a riot it's round to burnout/ransack/kill any Chinese they can find.............

And of course Indonesia was run by the Dutch when the Japanese came calling

Well it seemed to be the main reason for the ADF back in the 80s when I was there on Ex Long Look.

Stanwell,
totally in agreement with you, I switched my activity to the civil world and it was a relief to work with business oriented customers, fully pragmatic to adapt to new constraints araising

Arc, such cooperation already exists on many levels in the Armed Services of both countries.

As for Federating with Australia, it was mooted in the early 20th century but both countries decided not to proceed due to lack of public support. Some things never change it seems.

"The Northern Hemisphere rugby union teams wouldn't stand a chance against a combined Aussie/Kiwi team!"

and pity help you if we brought the Somans in too.

they was drama when suharto was in power, there was talk of turning it to glass. aus estimates that by 2035 it will be similar military budget as aus, in the meantime we are still giving our old stuff to them, latest was our old hercs..now that it's half a democracy, things have softened and perhaps the 5 powers may become 6 one day.

Somans? SOMANS??? Don't tell me you've found another b***** Pacific island to steal players from for your national teams................ :uhoh::uhoh:

yep, we changed the name to protect the guilty..and Fiji too