News from CGA-Canada
FROM: MAR-APR 2005 ISSUE
Public Accounting Rights Granted in P.E.I.
The government of Prince Edward Island has officially extended public accounting rights to the province's Certified General Accountants. The Public Accounting and Auditing Act of Prince Edward Island was proclaimed on January 4, 2005. Qualified CGAs in P.E.I. are now eligible to practice public accounting, a right that had previously been limited to Chartered Accountants.
The new legislation was made possible by the cooperative efforts of representatives from both CGA-PEI and the Institute of Chartered Accountants of P.E.I., who worked to draft a joint recommendation for reform of public accounting legislation in the province.
CGAs and CAs will have to meet equivalent standards of regulation, over and above the certification standards established by their respective professional bodies in order to practice public accounting in P.E.I. That will include a minimum of two years' practical experience in an approved public accounting office. Both groups must also adhere to the practice standards, ethical rules, and disciplinary procedures adopted by their respective professional bodies.
According to Louise Nesterenko, Chair of CGA-Canada, this is an important development for professionals across the country. "This legislation breaks down barriers to interprovincial mobility for professionals, a development that is strongly supported by CGA-Canada. It is crucial that no matter where qualified professionals live, they can provide services to their clients across provincial boundaries," she says.
CGA-PEI is also pleased that its members are now able to offer a wider range of services. "The public and the business community will benefit from greater choice in the marketplace as a result of this legislation. Companies that operate in more than one Atlantic province particularly stand to gain," says CGA-PEI President Bill Pitre.
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The 2004-05 Board of Directors
The members of CGA-Canada's Board of Directors and Executive Committee for 2004-05 were announced at the Association's Board Meeting in December in Toronto. The following are voting members of the Board of Directors:
Louise Nesterenko, FCGA (AB)
Dany Girard, FCGA (QC)
Jackie Poirier, FCGA (NS)
Colin T. Bruintjes, FCGA (BC)
Ron Colucci, FCGA (ON)
Tony Ducie, CGA (SK)
Rita M. Estock, FCGA (BC)
Len Pietrzykowski, FCGA (BC)
James Dunphy, FCGA (AB)
James C. Gaa, FCGA (AB)
Gregory M. Kuzminksi, FCGA (MB)
Joyce Evans, FCGA (ON)
Ron Francis, FCGA (ON)
Bruce Hutton, FCGA (ON)
Alain Laplante, FCGA (QC)
Luc Provencher, FCGA (QC)
Terry LeBlanc, FCGA (NB)
Derek C. Huestis, CGA (PEI)
David R. White, FCGA (NL)
Kent D. Ferguson, FCGA (NWT/NT)
Robert Fendrick, CGA (YT)
The Board's non-voting members are:
Anthony Ariganello, FCGA (CGA-Canada)
John J. Nagy, FCGA (BC)
Rueben Blenman, CGA (Bermuda & the Caribbean)
Helen Kwok, FCGA (Hong Kong, Special Administrative Region, & China)
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2004-05 Executive Committee
Louise Nesterenko, FCGA
Chair
Nesterenko is vice-president and co-founder of Alberta Computer Cable Inc. She was named Outstanding Small Business Philanthropist as part of Alberta's 2003 Generosity of Spirit awards. She has served on the CGA-Canada Board of Directors since 2001-02 and was president of CGA-Alberta in 2001-02. She has been a CGA since 1981 and an FCGA since 2000.
Dany Girard, FCGA
First Vice-Chair
Girard, of Chicoutimi, Quebec, is executive director of the Caisse Desjardins d'Arvida-Kénogami in Jonquière. He has worked in credit union management since 1991. Girard was a member of the Mouvement Desjardins provincial Rate-Setting Committee in 2002-03, and has a long record of community involvement. He is currently vice-president of the Ville Saguenay's Société de développement économique. Girard earned a bachelor of accounting science at the Université du Québec à Chicoutimi. He has served on the CGA-Canada Board of Directors since 2000-01, and was president of L'Ordre des CGA du Québec in 2001-02. Girard earned his designation in 1991 and FCGA in 2000.
Jackie Poirier, FCGA
Second Vice-Chair
Poirier is regional director, human resources, at Public Works and Government Services Canada in Halifax. She has held senior management positions in the federal government since 1997. She holds a bachelor of business administration from Mount Saint Vincent University. Poirier offers her expertise to the Advisory Board for the Centre for Women in Business at Mount Saint Vincent University and has served on the CGA-Canada Board of Directors since 2001-02. She was president of CGA-Nova Scotia in 1999-2000. She received her designation in 1993 and FCGA in 2002.
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Members at Large
Colin Bruintjes, FCGA
Bruintjes is president of Colin T. Bruintjes, CGA, a public accounting practice based in Smithers, B.C. He has worked in public accounting for 23 years. He has donated his time to organizations such as the Canadian Diabetes Association, the Knights of Columbus, and St. Joseph's School. He has a diploma in business administration. Bruintjes has a long record of service to CGA-British Columbia and served as president of the provincial Association in 2003. Bruintjes served on the CGA-Canada Board of Directors from 2000-01 to 2001-02, and again in 2003-04. He received his designation in 1989 and FCGA in 2002.
Ron Colucci, FCGA
Colucci is principal of R.V. Colucci, Certified General Accountant, a public accounting practice in Mississauga. He has been in public practice as a sole practitioner since 1988. Colucci is an active contributor to his community. He has taught accounting courses at Sheridan College and has been a lecturer for CGA Ontario. Colucci earned a master of business administration from the University of Toronto and a bachelor of arts (honours) from York University. He joined the CGA-Canada Board of Directors in 2002-03 and is president of CGA Ontario for 2004-05. He received his designation in 1979 and FCGA in 1998.
Tony Ducie, CGA
Ducie, of Saskatoon, is vice-president, finance and treasurer of Co-operative Trust Company of Canada, a role he has held since 1984. He was a member of the Board of Directors of Ronald McDonald House (RMH) from 1994 to 2003, including serving as president in 1997 and 1998. He is also a member of Financial Executives International. Ducie joined the CGA-Canada Board of Directors in 2002-03 and is serving as president of CGA-Saskatchewan for 2004-05. He earned his CGA designation in 1993.
John Nagy, FCGA
Past Chair
Nagy, of Richmond, B.C., is a partner in the firm of Reid Hurst Nagy Certified General Accountants, one of the largest CGA firms in B.C. He has worked in public practice since 1981. His community involvement ranges from coaching softball to providing financial advice to Lions Club seniors' homes and Scouts groups. Nagy has served on the CGA-Canada Board of Directors since 1996 and on the Executive Committee since 2001-02. He was president of CGA-BC in 1999. He earned his designation in 1980 and FCGA in 1998.
Anthony Ariganello, FCGA
Secretary
Ariganello joined CGA-Canada in June 2003 as president and chief executive officer. He was president of Avon Canada prior to joining CGA-Canada and spent 10 years with that company in several key financial management positions. While with Avon, Ariganello served as Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Direct Sellers Association of Canada. Ariganello is a graduate of McGill University. He received his designation in 1982 and FCGA in 2004. He is also a Certified Public Accountant (Delaware).
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Federal Budget Analysis
Immediately following Finance Minister Ralph Goodale's delivery of the budget speech on February 23,CGA-Canada went live with its online post-budget commentary. Included in the package are a scorecard, highlights from the 2005 budget, specific tax measures for the year, and a newsletter for practitioners with tax tips for their clients.
The Association made a pre-budget submission to the House of Commons Standing Committee on Finance in October 2004. Everett Colby, FCGA, Chair of CGA-Canada's Tax and Fiscal Policy Committee, urged the Canadian government at that time to use a projected $8.9 billion surplus to cut personal and corporate tax in the 2005 federal budget.
The pre-budget submission to the Finance Committee contained a total of 25 recommendations covering four key economic and fiscal principles: continued commitment to fiscal prudence and expenditure control; competitive federal tax policy; efficient and smart regulation; and effective interprovincial and international trade policy.
To view CGA-Canada's 2005 federal budget coverage and the complete pre-budget submission, go to the CGA-Canada Web site at www.cga-canada.org/budget2005.
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