The only way I can answer that is to say I certainly encourage that type of thinking—the creative thinking, looking for different solutions to a particular issue. I think that's important, and I try to encourage that, usually through engaging in meetings and having discussions with staff about a particular issue, and trying to help them explore the situation. But fundamentally, the creativity of people comes out when they are simply given the opportunity to use their own creativity—when they are encouraged to look at the issue from a different perspective.
That's why I say, in the audit world, one of the things that I would challenge auditors on is if they have a recommendation, how would they actually implement the recommendation? They have to think of it from the point of view of somebody who is on the receiving end of the recommendation as well.
Too often, as auditors, we can take the easy way out and say, “The government should spend more money on....” That is just too easy a recommendation. It is simply a matter of trying to open up that discussion and giving people the room to explore their own creativity.
You mentioned professional development. In the New Brunswick auditor general's office, we went through a couple years of budget reductions. One thing I told the legislative administrative committee was, “Yes, we will take the budget reductions, but we are not reducing training,” because to have a well-run, well-functioning audit office, you have to have people who are current, up-to-date, and understand what the rules around auditing are. I always felt that the right amount of focused training had to be done and you couldn't reduce that as part of a budget exercise.