Canada was left out of a new defence pact between the United States, Australia, and the UK, which was announced on Sept. 15. Dubbed AUKUS, the agreement seeks to “deepen diplomatic, security, and defense cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region,” according to a statement from the White House. Party leaders were asked about the pact as they were campaigning in different parts of Canada in the final week before the election. Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau downplayed the exclusion of Canada from the pact during a campaign stop in Montreal on Sept. 16. “We continue to be strong members of the Five Eyes, and continue to share information and security approaches with our partners,” Trudeau said when asked if Canada will lose in terms of defence intelligence if it’s not part of the alliance. Trudeau said that the deal was mainly about Australia’s decision to acquire nuclear submarines, as the country gets increasingly nervous …