During May and June 2010, CPA Australia and CGA-Canada held a series of exclusive roundtable forums entitled 'Unlocking the potential of the SME sector'. The forums specifically identified issues and influences that are acting as a barrier to the economic potential of the SME sector relating to:
- reducing the regulatory burden faced by small business and issues in the pursuit of harmonisation of regulation across states / territories and provinces
- creating the right incentives, through tax reform and otherwise, for the SME sector to continue to invest and create jobs
- ensuring that SMEs continue to have access to finance in times of capital scarcity.
The Report of the forum on SME issues is now available.
The roundtables
The Australian roundtable was held in Melbourne on 21 May, hosted by CPA Australia CEO Alex Malley and moderated by Amanda Gome from SmartCompany, Australia’s leading free news, information and resource site for entrepreneurs, SME owners and business managers.
The event attracted politicians, regulators, small business industry groups and leaders from the banking sector, franchise sector, commerce and industry and international business and trade, including:
- the Hon Dr Craig Emerson, minister for competition policy and consumer affairs; minister for small business, independent contractors and the service economy; minister assisting the finance minister on deregulation
- the Hon Bruce Billson, shadow minister for small business, deregulation, competition policy and sustainable cities
- Mr Anthony Ariganello, CEO, CGA-Canada
- Ms Jaye Radisich, CEO, Council of small business of Australia
- Mr Greg Evans, director, economics and industry policy, Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry
- Mr Graeme Samuel, chairman, Australian Competition and Consumer Commission
- Mr Steven Münchenberg, CEO, Australian Bankers' Association Inc.
- Mr George Yammouni CPA, chairman, Franchise Council of Australia
- Mr Chris Gorman, CEO, The Executive Connection
- Mr Franz Madlener, CEO, Villa & Hut Group
- Mr Bernard Tanner, chief operating officer, local business banking, Commonwealth Bank of Australia
- Mr Mark Hand CPA, general manager, regional commercial banking, ANZ Bank
- Mr Paul Drum FCPA, general manager, policy and research, CPA Australia
The Melbourne roundtable was covered exclusively by the Australian Financial Review and the discussions also attracted subsequent mentions in a number of print and online outlets.
On 9 June, Anthony Ariganello, CEO CGA-Canada, hosted the second round table in Ottawa, Canada. Moderated by Andrew Bell from the Business News Network, it attracted participants including:
- Keith Ashfield, Canadian Minister of National Revenue
- Justin Brown, Australian High Commissioner to Canada
- industry leaders
- members of parliament
Alex Malley, CEO, CPA Australia, attended along with Paul Wappett, executive general manager, strategy. CPA Australia was called on to share information on Australia’s recent Henry tax review, federal-state government relations and the deregulation work plan and general operations of the Council of Australian Governments.
By way of further background for roundtable participants, CPA Australia and CGA-Canada together published a background paper on SME issues faced in both countries.
Why CGA-Canada and CPA Australia?
In March 2008, CGA-Canada and CPA Australia signed a mutual recognition agreement (MRA) to further develop a close relationship between the two bodies and establish guidelines on how qualified members gain reciprocal membership.
As part of the MRA, the two bodies also agreed to work collaboratively in areas of mutual interest to increase the level of services for their respective members. In 2009, CGA-Canada and CPA Australia joined forces with ACCA to produce a joint report on Access to Finance. To build on this report CGA-Canada proposed the SME Roundtable Forums for Australia and Canada.
