INTHEBLACK February / March 2026 - Magazine - Page 16
MEMBER PROFILE
ONE PIECE OF ADVICE
“Stay curious, keep
learning and seek out
perspectives that
challenge your own,
because that is where
insight begins. Listen to
people who see the world
differently, to test your
views and assumptions.”
“We publish a list of potential audits
that is about twice the number we
can deliver,” she says. “Part of that is just to
signal that we are interested in a particular
topic, and that alone can sometimes lead
to change and improvements.”
That is not to say that the ANAO
brandishes fear as a weapon. In fact, McLiesh
says that there is a conscious focus on
ensuring audit is perceived as a constructive
concept inside agencies.
“Audits are not about a ‘gotcha’,” she says.
“They are about learning and understanding
what works, what doesn’t, and where we can
find improvement.”
While independence and candour are
non-negotiable — the ANAO team must
be objective and politically neutral — it
does not mean the role is an adversarial one.
In fact, while difficult calls must often be
made, McLiesh puts a great deal of thought
and effort into how findings are presented.
“We can do this in a constructive way
and with a view to what we are all trying
to do, which is to get better government
services for Australians,” she says. “We aim
16 INTHEBLACK February/March 2026
to promote
transparency,
accountability and
performance, but
there are sometimes
finely balanced
decisions about, for
example, the trade-off
between transparency
and national security.
“Also, the way in
which we present
a finding needs to
be carefully thought
through, in case
somebody with a
different perspective
perceives a finding
as the Audit Office
entering into the
political sphere.”
The result is a
deliberate style that
permeates the entire
organisation, from the way McLiesh leads
by example and presents herself, to the way
reports are written.
“We operate in a very deliberate way — we
call it a ‘flat’ way,” she explains. “It is very
factual and evidence-based, because the audit
function is not about hype, it is about trust
and confidence. So we consciously try not
to sensationalise or seek limelight.
“We’re very conscious of behaving in a way
that demonstrates neutrality, which upholds
standards of national security, of commercial
confidentiality, of Cabinet confidence and of
privacy of individuals. To operate with such
integrity, we must always be conscious of
tone, timing and language.”
While the ANAO cannot play the
role of consultant or adviser — despite
the organisation’s breadth of knowledge,
experience and insight around best practices
in government — it does publish reports
that help share knowledge.
Known as Insights, the publications
tend to focus on a particular topic such as
governance of data, records management
or management of corporate credit cards.
