CPA rebel leader pushes ASIC, raises $33K

In one of his regular communications to CPA members, NSW-based accountant Brett Stevenson called on the corporate regulator to become proactively involved in the corporate governance issues raised by members.

In particular, he believes ASIC should be more actively examining potential breaches of director duties, potential breaches of constitution in relation to the appointment of an emergency director and the remuneration of directors.

“Some of the issues raised are very significant and deal with major issues that the example of CPA Australia would provide great lessons to all. It has been a very public exposure,” Mr Stevenson said.

Mr Stevenson continues to pursue “legal and political” avenues to escalate the plight of members, using a pool of member donations. He is currently just shy of $17,000 below his $50,000 target.

Other CPA Australia members are also pursuing their own protests. Lejo Ouwendyk, managing director of Kennerlys in Perth, has distributed a survey to fellow members across Australia.

He’s looking to find out if members want the current CPA board to step down, the appointment of five representative divisional presidents, and an experienced independent chair to form an interim board to temporarily guide CPA Australia through its current crisis.

Four CPA Australia members have also created an online survey calling for a spill motion against the board, with a view to get 5,000 members involved.