Our advocacy objectives

Good public policy plays an important role in building a more sustainable, prosperous and resilient future.

We aim to deliver bold, visible advocacy and thought leadership in the public good.

The main objectives of our advocacy are to:

• Create value for our members, their clients and communities;
• Achieve better policy outcomes in the public good;
• Influence sound legal and regulatory reform; and
• Increase our recognition as trusted advisers with government and other key stakeholders.

Our policy priorities

The major policy areas we advocate on are tax, superannuation, financial advice, small business, reporting and assurance, business reform, sustainability, education, skills and migration, and diversity, equity and inclusion.

Our advocacy team works closely with our members to identify policy priorities and develop positions in areas that impact members, their clients and the communities they serve.

CA ANZ has updated its policy priorities and positions for advocacy in 2024 across a range of areas with input from members, to guide our approach for the year ahead, including new and updated priorities on:

• High quality, consistent assurance – bringing integrity to sustainability reporting and supporting the audit profession to deliver.
• Development towards an overarching globally aligned sustainability reporting framework that integrates climate-related disclosures with nature and broader environmental and social issues.
• Recognition of, and alignment with, existing obligations for members, when the Anti-Money-Laundering regime in Australia is extended to capture accounting services to minimise duplication and compliance burden.
• Ongoing tax advocacy in Australia for ambitious tax reform, and in New Zealand for a reimagined, pared-back fringe benefit tax, a streamlined and systematic remedial process, and greater adherence to the generic tax policy process.
• Engaging with the government formed after New Zealand’s general election to ensure ministers are abreast of the opportunities and challenges facing the profession and aware of any law reform and policy setting changes needed.
• Improving productivity and building a sustainable profession through education, skills and migration investment and reform to address ongoing skills shortages, promote the attractiveness of the profession and grow the talent pipeline.
• Diversity, equity and inclusion policies to widen participation and representation of First Nations Peoples and other under-represented groups within our membership, address the gender pay gap within the profession and support pay transparency.

How we advocate

Our policy positions are advocated through submissions, consultations and ongoing engagement with governments, regulators and standard-setters and by speaking out on issues where the profession’s expertise is relevant.

We provide different perspectives on public policy and stimulate thinking and conversation on what can be done to meet the challenges and opportunities ahead.