Re-elect existing FPA board, says incumbent director

A member of the Financial Planning Association (FPA) board has vowed to stand again for his position, calling for the re-election of all existing directors and an end to bickering between different categories of members.

The director, Peter O'Toole, declared his decision noting that the online ballot for FPA board positions would open on 26 September and end on 10 October.

He said he believed the re-election of existing board members would ensure stability "to enable continuation of the significant progress of the last few years".

"Board stability and cohesion of the last few years has assisted the FPA to carry out necessary changes and achieve results in the face of an enormous range of issues," O'Toole said.

He claimed there was still important unfinished business on the FPA's immediate agenda, especially on the regulatory front, "however the definitive goal is to establish financial planning as a universally respected profession".

"Something else I would also like to see which would assist with the drive to professionalism is the end of bickering between various categories of planners, such as employed versus self-employed, or type of licensee etc. The important issue is not what tag people give themselves or others, but their individual behaviour," he said.

"The vast majority of our practitioner members are very professional and I certainly want to continue to encourage that. However, I would also like to see an increase in respect amongst professionals in our field; to see an end to criticism of other members merely because of the particular employment/ licensee arrangements.

"The focus should be on behaviour of each individual financial planner, not generic criticism of whole segments," O'Toole said.