Trading Room

Accounting changes add up to turf war PEAK accounting body CPA Australia wants to increase pathways into the profession and the universities are not happy. But while this looks like an arcane argument over accreditation, it involves broader questions of how national qualifications are assessed in a global education market and whether people will always pay for an expensive education when lower-cost options are on offer. At the heart of the dispute between CPA and the Accounting and Finance Association, representing trans-Tasman academics, is the professional body's plan to offer its own study material and exams designed to assess an individual's technical knowledge, gained on the job or through study. From next year passing these exams will offer an alternative to a recognised accounting degree as a prerequisite for CPA's professional level training, said Paul Wappett, the body's executive general manager for international development. It is an argument Professor Chalmers acknowledges, albeit unhappily.