Update from the CPA Australia Board 30 May 2023

President’s message

On behalf of the Board, I’d like to thank everyone who attended CPA Australia’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) on Wednesday 17 May at our offices in Southbank, Victoria. I was delighted that more than 90 people joined us in person and over 235 people watched the live webcast as we presented CPA Australia’s results from 2022. I’d particularly like to thank the members who asked thoughtful questions about the organisation’s performance and finances. We appreciate your interest and engagement, and thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to meet so many members after the meeting. A recording of the AGM is available on the website. 

 

Response to matter regarding PwC Australia

At CPA Australia, we consider it a privilege to be consulted by governments and regulators on issues relating to the profession and the public interest. All CPA Australia representatives involved in such discussions are bound by professional obligations and Codes of Conduct. Upholding the ethics and integrity of the profession is integral to the CPA designation and our role as a professional body.

The Board and executive leadership team are extremely concerned and disappointed by the breach of confidentiality involving PwC Australia. As previously highlighted, we have contacted PwC Australia to determine if any CPA Australia members are involved. Likewise, we have also written to members who have identified PwC as their employer. To date, we have not been made aware of any members being involved in this matter. Nor have we received any complaints against our members regarding this matter.

In addition to the above, CPA Australia is taking a number of steps to reinforce the importance of ethics and integrity to members. This includes considering mandatory professional development requirements around ethics and integrity, meeting with key stakeholders such as the Australian Professional & Ethics Standards Board (APESB) to discuss possible actions as well as consulting with other stakeholders such as CPA Australia’s Council of Presidents.

Australian Federal Budget coverage

Coverage of Australian and international budgets is a key component of CPA Australia’s policy and advocacy activity. The 2023-24 Australian Federal Budget was handed down on Tuesday 9 May 2023 and CPA Australia’s tax and policy experts provided informed analysis and detailed commentary on what the budget means for accountants, businesses, finance professionals and the public. Our coverage included a media release highlighting the major announcements, a special edition of CPA Tax News on the night of the Budget, a high-level summary in INTHEBLACK, an in-depth breakdown of budget measures in our ‘With Interest’ podcast, a special budget webinar and a series of social media posts. We’ve had a positive response with a high number of downloads and page views and record numbers attending the webinar. You can view the dedicated Federal Budget coverage on the website. 

Semester 1 exams

The CPA Program is the cornerstone of our education offering and we acknowledge the dedicated ASA members who undertook Semester 1 exams during April. More than 21,200 CPA Program exams were delivered, including over 16,800 test centre exams delivered across 232 test centres worldwide, and over 4300 online proctored exams. The results will be released to candidates on Friday 9 June and we wish everyone the best of luck.

The First Nations Voice to Parliament

In February 2023 CPA Australia released a formal response in support of the Uluru Statement from the Heart. The statement was guided by our Indigenous Advisory Group and aligns with our commitment to social responsibility and our reconciliation journey. While we support the Uluru Statement from the Heart, we will not be actively campaigning about the proposed First Nations Voice to Parliament. CPA Australia is apolitical and we consider voting in the forthcoming Australian referendum on the Voice to Parliament to be a personal matter for everyone who is eligible to vote.

Change to the next CPA Australia Board Update

CPA Australia is set to deliver a major technology upgrade over the coming months. This is a significant digital transformation that will help us deliver more personalised services to members and reinforce cyber-security protections. As we transition to our new cloud-based technology platform there will be some temporary changes to member communications. This includes the next CPA Australia Board Update due in mid-July which will be published on the home page of the website only and not sent to members via email. We thank you for your patience as we introduce improved and more personalised systems.

 

Board nominations open

The nominations for appointment to the Board of Directors opened on 29 May 2023 and close on 19 June 2023. All applications must be submitted through the executive search firm, Odgers Berndtson’s application portal. Full details are on the website. 

 

Merran Kelsall AO FCPA

President and Chair

On behalf of CPA Australia’s Board of Directors