About the High Commission
The Australian High Commission in Ottawa is responsible for advancing Australia’s interests in Canada. We work closely with the Australian Consulate-General in Toronto, the Australian Consulate in Vancouver and the Canadian Government and business community to promote Australia, pursue our foreign policy, trade and security interests, and support Australian businesses in Canada.
The High Commission also provides consular services to Australians in Ontario (excluding the southwestern corner below Kingston), Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland and Labrador, and Bermuda. It also provides passport and notarial services.
The Australian Consulate General in Toronto and the Australian Consulate in Vancouver provide consular assistance in Canada outside the jurisdictions noted above.
Contact details and business hours for the High Commission
Days on which the High Commission will be closed
The Hon Scott Ryan
High Commissioner
The Honourable Scott Ryan commenced as Australia’s High Commissioner to Canada in December 2021.
Immediately prior to this Scott was the 25th President of the Senate in the Australian Parliament.
Scott was elected to this office in November 2017 and re-elected in July 2019. He is the youngest person ever elected to that office.
Scott was elected to the Australian Parliament on three occasions, in 2007, 2013 and 2016.
He held various ministerial portfolios and offices in the Australian Government from 2013-2017. These included Special Minister of State, Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Cabinet, Minister Assisting the Cabinet Secretary, Minister for Vocational Education and Skills, Assistant Cabinet Secretary and Parliamentary Secretary for Education &Training. He also chaired the Senate Standing Committee on Finance and Public Administration.
Prior to serving in public office, Scott worked in the pharmaceutical and health sector, as a consultant in the health and insurance industries, in various capacities in state and federal politics and as a tutor in political science at the University of Melbourne.
Scott is married to Helen, and they have two young boys.
Anne Witheford
Deputy High Commissioner
Anne Witheford is a career member of the Australian foreign service and the current Deputy Head of Mission of the Australian High Commission Ottawa. She most recently served in DFAT headquarters in Canberra leading a Japan bilateral team and a geostrategic likemindeds engagement team.
Prior to this, Anne served as Adviser to the Australian Foreign Minister and in the Departent of Prime Minister and Cabinet as Southeast Asia Adviser (ASEAN), later North Asia Adviser (China, Japan, Koreas).
Overseas, Anne has completed assignments in Singapore and Manila. She also served as International Staff of the Asian Development Bank working in China, Central Asia, Southeast Asia and the Pacific Islands. Earlier in her career, Anne worked for the Senator Chair of the Australian Parliament’s Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade.
Anne completed the Harvard Kennedy School of Government Senior Executives in National and International Security Program. She holds a combined Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Law degree (double honours) from the Australian National University and a Masters of International Relations. Anne is married with three children.
Michelle Webster
Consul General and Trade & Investment Commissioner
Michelle’s love of Canada and its people grew from her visiting her mother’s family in Vancouver and a working holiday in Toronto. She jumped at the opportunity to return to build closer collaboration between Australia and Canada to foster both countries’ economic security.
Known for her strategic thinking, team leadership and stakeholder engagement skills, Michelle has represented Austrade and Australia in China, Japan, India and in the Federal Trade and Investment Minister’s office in Canberra. She brings significant experience providing high-level strategic advice in corporate and government settings to advance Australia’s strengths in trade and investment.
Michelle joined Austrade after a career in financial and creative services in Australia, Canada and the UK, including with BT Funds Management, the Australian Film Commission, NBC and the BBC.
Most recently she was based in Sydney serving as Austrade’s NSW State Lead and previously as head of the Americas and Europe desk for the Government and Policy Division. She speaks German and Spanish.
Along with her teams at the Australian Consulate-General in Toronto and Australian Consulate in Vancouver, Michelle will work closely with the Australian High Commission in Ottawa to support Australians in Canada.
She also looks forward to leading the local team of investment business development and trade directors. The team builds strong relationships with the business community across North America to help exporters, investors and buyers navigate changes in the geopolitical environment, mitigate risk and capitalise on emerging opportunities.