A Seat at the Table: RPA Canada Brings the Voice of Small Business Accounting to Queen’s Park

TORONTO – The conversation about who serves Ontario’s small businesses came to the heart of the province’s democracy this spring, as RPA Canada hosted an advocacy luncheon at Queen’s Park attended by members of provincial parliament from across the political spectrum, distinguished guests, and accounting professionals from every corner of Ontario.

Master of ceremonies Michael Saniga, RPA Canada’s Director of Engagement and Learning Innovation, opened the gathering with a land acknowledgement and framed the afternoon as “a conversation that is long overdue” one about the community-based accounting professionals who keep the books, file the taxes, and fuel the growth of Ontario’s more than 1.2 million small businesses, yet who have “for too long operated in the shadows of a credentialing conversation that didn’t always include them.”

A Clear Call for Recognition

In his opening address, RPA Canada President and CEO Zubair Choudhry, RPA, APA, highlighted the essential role Registered Professional Accountants play in supporting Canada’s small and medium-sized businesses. He emphasized that while the non-assurance accounting sector does not require additional regulation, it does require competent, ethical, and well-trained professionals who can provide reliable accounting, taxation, and business advisory services.

He noted that today’s Advocacy Day at Queen’s Park is focused on promoting and strengthening small businesses, which are a vital part of Ontario’s economy. Registered Professional Accountants are well prepared to serve this sector because of their specialized education, practical experience, professional standards, and commitment to ongoing professional development.

Through education, training, and ethical oversight, RPA Canada prepares accounting practitioners with the knowledge and skills required to serve businesses and taxpayers across Ontario and Canada. Mr. Choudhry emphasized that strengthening professional competency helps entrepreneurs make informed decisions, improves financial reporting, and contributes to a stronger and more resilient economy.

Mr. Choudhry was careful to clarify precisely what RPA Canada is and is not asking for. As the oldest Canadian accounting organization, RPA Canada is advocating for recognition of the RPA designation. It is not proposing any new regulation, nor any government funding. The Society already manages its own membership, sets competency standards, and establishes the ethical and educational standards for its practicing members and student members and will continue to do so under its own resources.

He also pointed to concrete action already underway, including Pro Achieve 2026, RPA Canada’s pathway for experienced, undesignated practitioners to earn the RPA designation, and the acceptance of RPA compilation engagement reports by Canadian banks and credit unions for small business financing. What remains, he argued, is a cost-neutral broader recognition of the value of Registered Professional Accountants that establishes competency, accountability, and public protection. “This is not about creating overlap. It is about creating clarity.”

Support from All Sides of the House

The luncheon drew speakers from all three major parties, a testament, as Mr. Saniga noted, to the fact that small business and accessible professional services are Ontario issues, not partisan ones.

Speaking on behalf of the Ontario Liberal Party, Lucille Collard, MPP for Ottawa-Vanier, praised the brief’s comparison of the RPA role to that of paralegals and nurse practitioners as “very helpful and accessible,” noting that such models improve access to services, reduce bottlenecks, and let highly specialized practitioners focus on complex cases. At a time of economic uncertainty, she said, access to reliable and affordable financial expertise matters more than ever and she urged members not to underestimate the value of showing up at Queen’s Park to make their case.

Terence Kernaghan, MPP for London North Centre and the official opposition’s shadow minister for small business, called Pro Achieve 2026 “phenomenal” for tapping into the skills people already have and confirmed that NDP Leader Marit Stiles and the official opposition are willing partners in developing the clarity within the accounting profession. “Accountants are more than just numbers’ experts,” he said. “They’re partners in business growth, community success, and economic resilience.”

Closing the remarks, the Honourable Nina Tangri, MPP for Mississauga–Streetsville and Associate Minister of Small Business, representing PC Party of Ontario brought the perspective of a 35-year small business owner. “Sometimes you learn the hard way that it’s often good to hire a professional,” she said, recognizing the critical bookkeeping, tax planning, and cash flow services accountants provide to the small businesses that account for some 2.5 million jobs and 98 per cent of employer businesses in Ontario. She congratulated RPA Canada for helping newcomers, students, and professionals earn their designations and singled out the annual Women Entrepreneurship Awards gala as “second to none.”

Showing Up Matters

Acknowledgements were delivered by Dr. William Wei, RPA, who marked a personal milestone 20 years to the day since he first landed in Canada as a new immigrant while thanking the RPA Canada team, the speakers, and the assembled MPPs.