For immediate release

21 October 2020

Melbourne, Australia

    ACCOUNTANTS SUPPORTIVE OF PANDEMIC RESPONSE BUT URGE GREATER NATIONAL UNITY

The accounting profession supports the way Australian governments have managed COVID-19, but urgesgreater national unity and transparency, according to CPA Australia.

In October, CPA Australia, which is one of the world’s largest accounting bodies, conducted an online survey of644 members to ascertain their attitudes to government responses to COVID-19. The survey results providestatistically robust evidence to inform the organisation’s ongoing policy and advocacy activities in response toCOVID-19.

CPA Australia General Manager External Affairs Dr Jane Rennie said, “CPA Australia members have a strongsense of public interest, and this was reflected in their responses.

“Respondents ranked public health as the single highest priority, followed by long-term economic recoveryplanning. Taken together, long-term and short-term economic recovery planning outranked public health as apriority.

 “Although a majority of respondents believed that border closures have contributed positively to public

health, the vast majority thought they have had a negative impact on the Australian economy.”

At a national level, 71.5 per cent of respondents rated the Federal Government’s response to the pandemic as‘good’ or ‘very good’. Respondents were more mixed about the impact and effectiveness of state governmentactions.

The Victorian Government’s response to the pandemic was more polarising. Victorian-based respondents werefrustrated by a perceived lack of decision-making consistency and transparency in that State.

Dr Rennie said, “The prolonged lockdown has undoubtedly contributed to a more pessimistic view of

government decision making in Victoria.

“Overall optimism regarding business conditions, employment conditions and the economy is not high.

Seventy-three per cent of Victorians were not optimistic or only slightly optimistic about business conditions,compared to 60 per cent of other Australians on the same measure.”

Regardless of their state of residence, respondents wanted governments at all levels to show greater nationalunity when responding to the impacts of the pandemic.

“Over 86 per cent of respondents rated having a unified national approach as ‘very’ or ‘extremely important’for managing COVID-19,” Dr Rennie said.

“Having multiple state and national approaches was not viewed favourably by respondents and was seen bysome as associated with political game playing.”

In comments provided, several respondents also highlighted the need for increased transparency and clarity of government announcements, to assist individuals and businesses to understand how announced measures apply

About CPA Australia

CPA Australia is one of the world's largest accounting bodies, with more than 166,000 members working in 100countries and regions and supported by 19 offices globally. Our core services to members include education,training, technical support and advocacy. Employees and members work together with local and internationalbodies to represent the views and concerns of the profession to governments, regulators, industries, academiaand the community. Visitcpaaustralia.com.au

Media contact: Dr Jane Rennie on +61 425 869 017 or media@cpaaustralia.com.au

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