Dates and location
Pricing
Hours
Dates and location
Pricing
Hours
Description
Participants will explore ethical responsibilities and decision-making for CPAs working in Canadian government and non-profit environments, with a focus on stewardship, accountability, and applying the CPA Code of Professional Conduct in complex, real-world scenarios. The course emphasizes navigating legal and institutional constraints, documenting professional judgment, and responding effectively to ethical pressures in hierarchical and publicly accountable settings.
Topics include:
- The ethical environment of Canadian public- service: public interest, stewardship, and accountability.
- Legal and policy frameworks affecting decision making, including statutory authority, procurement, and oversight mechanisms.
- Ethical risks in public sector activities such as procurement, grants, emergency spending, and reporting.
- Application of structured ethical decision making frameworks under real world pressures.
- Professional courage, accountability, and strategies for raising concerns within hierarchical organizations.
NOTE: This course description has been revised and reflects updates for 2026. If you have any questions, please contact pdevents@cpaontario.ca.
Key Takeaways
By the end of this course, participants should be able to:
- Explain the ethical responsibilities of CPAs working in government, Crown corporations, and publicly funded organizations.
- Identify the legal, policy, and institutional constraints that shape ethical decision‑making in the public sector.
- Apply the CPA Code of Professional Conduct to common ethical dilemmas in government and non‑profit contexts.
- Distinguish between political direction, managerial pressure, and professional responsibility.
- Use a structured decision‑making framework to analyze issues, document professional judgment, and determine appropriate actions.
Who Will Benefit
CPAs working in government, crown corporations, publicly funded organizations, or non-profits, and those who wish to better understand public‑sector ethical responsibilities and governance constraints.
How to Access the Course
This course is delivered as a live webinar. To receive verifiable CPD hours, you must attend the session live. We recommend joining at least 5 minutes before the scheduled start time. For the best interactive experience, please use a computer equipped with a camera and microphone.
A reminder email with the Zoom link and course details will be sent two business days before the session. If you do not receive it, please check your spam or junk folder.
The same information, including any available materials, will also be posted in advance on our Blackboard LMS.
Registration, cancellation, withdrawal and all other CPA Ontario PD policies can be found here.
Speaker(s)
Philip Maguire is a Chartered Professional Accountant and Chartered Accountant who received his designation while employed at Ernst & Young (formerly Clarkson Gordon) and a Certified Information Systems Auditor finalist. Philip is a principal in Glenidan Consultancy Ltd., an accounting practice that specializes in Compliance and Internal Audit. Philip has over 30 years of business experience in Canada, Hong Kong, the Philippines, Ireland and the United States. His organization has implemented a number of assignments across a variety of industries for companies with market capitalizations ranging from $50 million to $2 billion. Before he formed Glenidan Consultancy in 2005 Philip was a Vice-President of Finance at one of the country's largest financial institutions. Philip has spoken at a number of accounting conferences across Canada. He is a member of the Accounting Standards Board Insurance Accounting Task Force- Associates Group: the Ontario Securities Commission’s Continuous Disclosure Advisory Committee: the Steering Committee of XBRL Canada: and the Committee on Corporate Reporting of Financial Executives International (Canada). Philip has been a guest speaker on several television shows such as The Prosperity Show, Money in the Bank and Your Wealth and has contributed many articles to the Canada Business Wire on matters dealing with personal finance. He is a former Chairman of the Multiple Sclerosis Society, Ontario Division, Mississauga Chapter. Philip is a mentor for the Ryerson University’s StartMeUp program and the Chartered Professional Accountants (CPA) Ontario MAP to Success program. Philip is also the founder and Managing Director of Executive Mentors Inc. Executive Mentors has retained a number of retired business executives who have the time, energy and wisdom to mentor Canada’s next generation of entrepreneurs and business leaders.