4. Disseminating business-style accrual accounting for governments around the world
Section 2 explained that, following a report to the OECD's Public Management service (PUMA) in 1992, the accounting standard-setters in both New Zealand and Australia claimed their financial reporting standards are ‘sector neutral’, and then adopted a closed approach to standard-setting on matters that particularly affected the public sector (Ryan et al., 1999). This development was, and remains, controversial. Over the last few years, however, and still today, various global bodies, including IFAC, the World Bank and the IMF, have promoted the application of business-style accounting to governments worldwide. Those involved in the application of business-style accounting to governments in New Zealand and Australia have been key players in this international development. This section provides a historical outline of this development in New Zealand, noting the efforts now being directed at international level.
In early 1993, following a restructuring of New Zealand's professional accounting body, the New Zealand Society of Accountants (NZSA, subsequently renamed the New Zealand Institute of Chartered Accountants-NZICA), senior accountants from the Treasury became increasingly active in financial reporting standard-setting activities. Ian Ball, the leader of the Treasury's Financial Management Support Service responsible for introducing and implementing New Zealand's financial management reforms, developed a close working relationship with April McKenzie, the newly appointed director of accounting and professional standards at NZICA.
The NZICA rejected its earlier efforts to develop accrual accounting especially for the public sector in favour of the ‘sector-neutral’ approach, i.e. the application of business-style accrual accounting. Legislation proposing that businesses be required to comply with financial reporting standards had been delayed for two years, but was revived and read in Parliament for the second time in May 1993. With this reading, all processes allowing public input ended. Debate at the time raised sovereignty concerns because the legislation proposed delegating ‘to an outside body, … the power to make binding rules. In many respects we are being asked to delegate the power to legislate—our own principal power’ (Caygill, 1993). After this second reading debate, the proposed requirement that businesses comply with financial reporting standards was extended to encompass the public sector, and then passed into law without public comment. With this change, Parliament delegated to a newly established Crown Entity, the Accounting Standards Review Board (ASRB), its power to set rules for both business and governmental financial reporting.
Ball was appointed to the ASRB and also to the NZICA's financial reporting standard-setting committee. The NZICA submits its financial reporting standards to the ASRB for approval. New Zealand's development of sector-neutral accounting then proceeded alongside Australia's.