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Accounting Reform in Australia: Contrasting Cases of Agenda Building

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  • Stewart Jones
  • Sheikh F. Rahman
  • Peter W. Wolnizer

Abstract

On 4 March 1997, the Department of Treasury of the Australian Government announced sweeping measures to reform standard setting arrangements in Australia (CLERP Paper No.1, Commonwealth of Australia, 1997). The Government's agenda is profoundly reformist as it recommended the wholesale adoption of International Accounting Standards by Australian reporting entities, as well as advocating the introduction of market (selling) price accounting both nationally and internationally. While the notion of market value accounting is not new, this recommendation appears to be a historical first from a government, regulatory or standard setting body. Against this background, our study draws on a framework of ‘political agenda building’ proposed by Cobb and Elder (1972) and Cobb et al. (1976), in order to compare and contrast the competing standard setting reform agendas adopted by the Australian accounting profession and the Government. Using the Cobb and Elder framework, we discuss potential reasons why the CLERP agenda has supplanted that of the Australian accounting profession as well as some implications of these developments for the future of standards harmonization.

Suggested Citation

  • Stewart Jones & Sheikh F. Rahman & Peter W. Wolnizer, 2004. "Accounting Reform in Australia: Contrasting Cases of Agenda Building," Abacus, Accounting Foundation, University of Sydney, vol. 40(3), pages 379-404, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:abacus:v:40:y:2004:i:3:p:379-404
    DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-6281.2004.00163.x
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Philip Brown & Ann Tarca, 2001. "Politics, Processes and the Future of Australian Accounting Standards," Abacus, Accounting Foundation, University of Sydney, vol. 37(3), pages 267-296, October.
    2. Stewart Jones & Peter W. Wolnizer, 2003. "Harmonization and the Conceptual Framework: An International Perspective," Abacus, Accounting Foundation, University of Sydney, vol. 39(3), pages 375-387, October.
    3. R. G. Walker & Stewart Jones, 2003. "Measurement: A Way Forward," Abacus, Accounting Foundation, University of Sydney, vol. 39(3), pages 356-374, October.
    4. Linda English, 1998. "The Great Debate," Australian Accounting Review, CPA Australia, vol. 8(15), pages 2-2, May.
    5. Stephen A. Zeff, 1998. "An American View on CLERP," Australian Accounting Review, CPA Australia, vol. 8(16), pages 3-8, November.
    6. Walter P. Schuetze, 2001. "What Are Assets and Liabilities? Where Is True North? (Accounting That my Sister Would Understand)," Abacus, Accounting Foundation, University of Sydney, vol. 37(1), pages 1-25, February.
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    Cited by:

    1. Ronita Ram & Susan Newberry, 2017. "Agenda Entrance Complexity in International Accounting Standard Setting: The Case of IFRS for SMEs," Abacus, Accounting Foundation, University of Sydney, vol. 53(4), pages 485-512, December.
    2. Samindi Ishara Hewa & Rajni Mala & Jinhua Chen, 2020. "IASB's independence in the due process: an examination of interest groups’ influence on the development of IFRS 9," Accounting and Finance, Accounting and Finance Association of Australia and New Zealand, vol. 60(3), pages 2585-2615, September.
    3. Saeed Askary & Marc Olynyk, 2006. "Public Interest, Ethics, and the Balanced Scorecard: Implications for the Accounting Profession," Australian Accounting Review, CPA Australia, vol. 16(38), pages 51-58, March.
    4. Bryan A. Howieson, 2009. "Agenda formation and accounting standards setting: lessons from the standards setters," Accounting and Finance, Accounting and Finance Association of Australia and New Zealand, vol. 49(3), pages 577-598, September.
    5. Renata Stenka & Peter Taylor, 2010. "Setting UK standards on the concept of control: An analysis of lobbying behaviour," Accounting and Business Research, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 40(2), pages 109-130.
    6. Stewart Jones & Alison D. Higgins, 2006. "Australia's switch to international financial reporting standards: a perspective from account preparers," Accounting and Finance, Accounting and Finance Association of Australia and New Zealand, vol. 46(4), pages 629-652, December.

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