Following consultation with the Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand Council, Board and stakeholders, the new Commitment is now actively in use at new member ceremonies across Australia and New Zealand. As part of their membership renewal process, members will also be required annually to affirm or reaffirm their ongoing acceptance of The Commitment.

The Chartered Accountant’s Commitment

I commit:

• To always bring honour to the profession by acting in the public interest and to behave courageously and with integrity.
• To preserve and enhance the profession’s reputation by adhering scrupulously to our profession’s Code of Ethics.
• To conduct myself in a manner that maintains and enhances my professional reputation, that of my fellow Members and the profession, and of CA ANZ.
• To maintain my expertise and knowledge during the practice of my profession.
• To uphold the profession’s rich tradition of contributing to the community.
• That as a recipient of the best from the past, I will give my best to aid and shape tomorrow’s profession.

Today, CA ANZ Chief Executive Officer Ainslie van Onselen wrote to all CA ANZ members, emphasising the importance of making The Commitment public so there is no question about the standards of professionalism and behaviour the public can expect from a Chartered Accountant.

Email sent to all members with the subject line: The Chartered Accountant’s Commitment

18 April, 2024

Dear member,

A commitment to professional ethics and the public interest is at the heart of what defines the accounting profession in Australia and New Zealand.

As part of CA ANZ’s dedication to strengthening the awareness, training and explicit commitment of all members (including affiliates) to professional ethics, I am pleased to share with you The Chartered Accountant’s Commitment. It is a statement of intent that we are making public so there is no question about the standards of professionalism and behaviour the public can expect from a Chartered Accountant.

The writing of The Commitment follows consultation with CA ANZ Council, Board and stakeholders. It is a fresh take on The Charge, which for a long time has been recited as a powerful, memorable moment at new member ceremonies. Most importantly, The Commitment more explicitly recognises the importance of your professional Code of Ethics, including your undertaking to act in the public interest.

New members are already proudly reciting The Commitment at ceremonies across Australia and New Zealand and, starting with this year's membership renewal, all members will be required annually to affirm or reaffirm their ongoing acceptance of The Commitment.

We know many members found much pride in The Charge and I want to reassure you that great care was taken to update and modernise its language to both sensitively respect its heritage and embrace a new generation of chartered accountants and wider, more frequent use.

As you may know, The Commitment was the first recommendation in Going Further – A roadmap to enhanced trust and accountability which CA ANZ launched earlier this year. We are also working to activate other key recommendations, including establishing an Affiliates Admission Program. We will keep you updated as we make further progress.

Yours sincerely,

Ainslie van Onselen
Chief Executive Officer