CPABC in Focus November/December 2014 | Page 6

Notes & News Sponsorships & Events I n September and October, CPABC sponsored or attended a number of industry events to promote the CPA designation, including the Jack Webster Awards (October 29) and the MLA Luncheon (October 30). Upcoming sponsorships include the BC Business Summit (November 7), and Business in Vancouver’s CEO of the Year Awards (November 18). Promoting the profession on campus, CPABC sponsored or attended a variety of on-campus events, including the UVic Workplace Skills Conference (September 11-13), UVic Co-op and Career Fair (September 23-24), SFU Fairs Week (September 23-25), BC Financial Healthcare Professionals Conference (September 29-30), UBC Grad Fair (September 30-October 2), Nanaimo Chamber of Commerce Tradeshow (October 16), the Vernon Women in Business Leadership Conference (October 24), Vancouver Board of Trade Show and Reception (October 29), and the Vancouver Island Economic Alliance Conference (October 29-30). Upcoming events include the Kwantlen Polytechnic University Careers in Accounting CPA Roundtable (November 14). For more information on CPABC’s events activities, visit the News, Events & Publications section of bccpa.ca. CPABC Presentation to Budget 2015 Consultations B eing on the front lines of business in this province gives professional accountants first-hand knowledge of the issues that affect investment and the economy here. On September 15, Simon Philp, CPA, FCMA, chair of CMABC and co-chair of the Transitional Steering Committee for CPABC, shared some of this knowledge during a presentation made to the province’s Select Standing Committee on Finance and Government Services. Philp presented a summary of two major CPABC public policy initiatives—the BC Check-Up report and the CPA Business Outlook Survey (see pages 12 and 18)—and conveyed CPABC’s recommendations for government. Based on the input of CPABC members and our economic analysis, this year’s recommendations focused on four major areas: the impact of foreign speculation on BC housing prices; municipal transparency and accountability; business input tax credits; and supporting provincial venture capital investment. Housing costs In this year’s CPA Business Outlook Survey, 81% of respondents ranked housing prices as a moderate or major challenge for business success. One of the factors driving the increase in housing prices is foreign speculation, with foreign buyers already accounting for approximately 40% of Vancouver’s market for luxury single family homes. In our survey, 55% of