Ethics and integrity will always be central to public trust in the accountancy profession.

The overwhelming majority of Chartered Accountants ANZ members fulfil their commitment to their Code of Ethics, acting to uphold the profession’s core values: integrity, objectivity, confidentiality, professional competence and due care, and professional behaviour.

However, there will always be some who act unethically and unacceptably. High profile ethical issues have highlighted the need to strengthen the awareness, training, and explicit commitment of all members, including affiliates, to professional ethics.

Last year, members voted strongly in favour of changes to our By-Laws and the NZICA rules that will enable CA ANZ to implement the recommendations from the Professional Conduct Framework Review in-full. These included increasing fines for firm events and stronger, more efficient investigative powers for the independent Professional Conduct Committee.

But there is more than can be done. Following engagement with members, our board and council, and careful analysis of the issues over the past year, Going Further – A roadmap to enhanced trust and accountability articulates 14 actions – some of which CA ANZ can implement, and others that require support from government and stakeholders.

For members, actions include:

• A public commitment for Chartered Accountants. In March, we introduced the Chartered Accountants Commitment, which is now proudly recited at new member ceremonies. It's also part of the 2024/5 member declarations during annual membership renewal.
• Increased transparency of our conduct and disciplinary actions through the Professional Standards Annual Report for Australia, the first of which has already been published on Member and Public Practice Obligations page.
• Launch of Affiliate Admission Program (AAP): The two hour program is an induction for new Affiliate members or Non-Member Principals (NMPs) intending to practice with members in Australia and New Zealand. It provides an overview of what it means to be a member of CA ANZ, including key rules, obligations and requirements that all members commit to on acceptance into membership.
• Increasing mandatory ethics training: Amendments were made to CA ANZ Regulation CR7 Continuing Professional Development (CPD) to increase the required ethics related training from two to six hours per triennium. We’ve invested in complimentary and paid ethics training resources for members. The AAP qualifies as ethics CPD.
• Professional Conduct Framework Review: We're implementing recommendations from the 2023 Professional Conduct Framework Review. Key changes to the CA ANZ By-Laws were approved by members in late 2023 and subsequently by the Australian Governor General in January 2024.

There are also recommendations for large firms so they are clear on their obligations, and the roadmap also recognises the role that government plays, in particular implementing the existing recommendations from the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Corporations and Financial Services; clarifying ASIC’s jurisdiction when it comes to regulating audit firms; and strengthening whistleblower protections.

While Going Further offers clear immediate steps, it isn’t intended to be the final word. Ethics and ethical behaviour must be an ‘always on’ conversation for CA ANZ, its members and the broader profession.