News Highlights 2017: Michael Stutchbury, Editor-in-chief, The AFR

Print and online editors choose their highlights of 2017

Michael Stutchbury, Editor-in-chief, The Australian Financial Review

From February to June this year we unpeeled the leadership crisis at CPA Australia. Members were fed up with the accounting body using their fees to fund the TV show, book and billboards of celebrity CEO Alex Malley, to pay lavish salaries to him and his clique in management and on the board and to pour money into a massive white elephant in CPA Australia Advice.

Members who complained were threatened with legal action by CPA’s head office. As were we. Our Rear Window columnist Joe Aston, aided by accounting writer Ed Tadros, persisted.

The states withdrew CPA’s professional indemnity guarantee, Malley was sacked and the entire board resigned. This was a brilliant example of public interest journalism.