INTHEBLACK October 2026 - Magazine - Page 5
1. Looking across the policy landscape today, what
is one area where you are optimistic about the direction
Australian business or government is heading and why?
Australia is facing a difficult policy environment — weak
productivity, structural pressure on the budget and
a tax system that is increasingly complex and not well
aligned to a modern economy. At the same time, we are
competing for capital, talent and investment in a much
more contested global environment, and our relative
attractiveness is under pressure.
Against that backdrop, I am cautiously optimistic about
the focus on productivity. The challenge is to shift from
admiring the problem to implementing solutions: reducing
regulatory friction, improving how government works with
business, and making it easier to invest, innovate and grow.
2. What is a policy issue that is not getting enough
attention from business leaders right now, but you
believe should be firmly on the radar?
One area that deserves more attention from business
leaders is how quickly the policy and regulatory
environment is reshaping competitiveness — not just
in Australia, but globally. Many organisations are focused
on managing current obligations, but not enough step
back to ask how policy settings influence where they
invest, how they structure their operations and how
attractive they are relative to peers in other markets.
Issues like tax settings, sustainability disclosure, artificial
intelligence (AI) governance and capital allocation are
not just regulatory requirements — they are increasingly
factors in investment decisions, supply chain relationships
and access to global markets.
For Australian businesses in particular, the question
is whether we are positioning ourselves to compete
in a more globally integrated environment. Technology
is breaking down traditional boundaries, which makes
it easier for capital, talent and business models to move
across jurisdictions and take advantage of more favourable
regulatory and tax settings.
3. As regulation grows more complex around areas
like AI and disclosure, how can accounting and finance
professionals stay strategic instead of becoming purely
compliance-focused?
Finance professionals should treat regulation as a strategic
directive, not just a compliance task. AI, sustainability
disclosure, cyber risk and governance obligations tell
organisations about where markets, regulators and the
public expect business to go. The profession’s opportunity
is to help organisations make better choices, not just
meet minimum obligations. This means going beyond
interpreting and complying with rules and instead
translating the signals around risk, data, performance
and accountability into a competitive advantage.
In climate reporting, for example, the value is not in
producing a disclosure; it is understanding business
model resilience, supply chain exposure and capital
allocation. With AI, the value is not simply approving
or blocking tools; it is asking whether the organisation
has the governance, data quality, assurance and ethical
judgement to use them responsibly.
4. Many professionals see policy as abstract or removed
from day-to-day business. How does policy and advocacy
directly change outcomes for CPA Australia members
or the broader business community?
Australian tax is a clear example. For many members,
the challenge is not just the level of tax, but the complexity,
frequency of change and cost of complying with it.
Small businesses and practitioners in particular carry
a disproportionate burden, navigating detailed rules,
constant updates and increasing reporting expectations.
Our advocacy focuses on making the system more
workable in practice — simplifying rules where possible,
improving consultation, pushing for better implementation
of changes and advocating for holistic reform. That
includes areas like small business tax settings, integrity
measures and the administration of the system itself.
Getting those details right has a direct impact on time,
cost and certainty for members and their clients, while
improving Australia’s tax settings will support growth
and prosperity for future generations.
5. Outside the formal world of submissions, briefings
and parliamentary processes, what is a book, podcast
or unexpected source of inspiration that has influenced
the way you approach policy and leadership?
I am drawn to sources that explain systems clearly. Not
just policy books, but good journalism, economics, history
and long-form interviews with people who have had
to make difficult decisions in public life. Policy is ultimately
about judgement under constraints. You rarely choose
between a perfect option and a bad one. You are weighing
trade-offs, timing, institutional capacity and the real-world
consequences of decisions.
One influence for me is the tradition of careful public
sector thinking — people who take institutions seriously,
understand evidence and avoid easy slogans. I also find
a lot of value in conversations with members. They are
often the best reality check. If a policy idea cannot
be explained clearly to the professionals who have
to implement it, or if it ignores the way businesses
actually operate, then it probably needs more work. ■
intheblack.cpaaustralia.com.au 5
