Leisau and Margaret

Leisau is concerned that Vanuatu is struggling with the complexity of public financial management. Citizens are demanding greater accountability of public spending as they become more informed through social media.

Having spent more than ten years working in Vanuatu's Department of Finance and Treasury, holding various accounting roles including as the Financial Accounting manager, Leisau is keen to support the Vanuatu government to regain public trust in their financial management. Using her professional accounting masters, she intends to take on senior leadership roles, and ensure public spending is more open, transparent and accountable, through strengthened accountability systems and transparent and ethical decision-making processes.

Margaret has worked at Australia's Department of Finance for 13 years, where she led teams in the delivery of public management, legislation, appropriations, and ICT investment reform. In 2017, she led the review of internal regulations that apply across government entities and worked on Australia's 2014 Public Governance, Performance and Accountability Act.

Currently, Margaret provides independent commercial and financial advice on major Australian Government investments, such as Snowy 2.0 (pumped hydroelectric) and she assists DFAT in its development of the Australian Infrastructure Financing Facility for the Pacific.

Margaret has extensive Pacific experience, having provided specialist PFM advice in Nauru, Solomon Islands, Cook Islands, PNG, Federated States of Micronesia, Tonga and Samoa, particularly in the areas of financial policy and legislation.