The primary focus of my Examination, under its Terms of Reference, was to determine the level of compliance with the IOC guidelines by the Bid Company and its officers during the bid period. However, the Examination's findings, which are summarised below, must be viewed in the context of the environment during the bid period and the level of monitoring which the IOC itself applied to the guidelines. In the context of the environment it is important to understand that: a.Bidding for the right to host and stage an Olympic Games is a highly competitive operation, in which gaining the support and the vote of the majority of the members of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) is the prime objective. Those members represent countries with significant cultural, social and economic differences. b.The strategy of Sydney Olympics 2000 Bid Limited (the Bid Company) involved two main thrusts: the aggressive marketing of Sydney as the preferred venue for the athletes games in the Year 2000 to gain the respect, confidence and friendship and ultimately the vote of each IOC member. c.The IOC guidelines which were intended to provide a "level playing field" for bidding cities were deficient in that: the IOC did not monitor adherence by bidding cities to the guidelines the guidelines are unclear in a number of respects the potential for significant support (benefits) to be made available outside the guidelines to countries of IOC members was not envisaged by the guidelines (eg. government to government support, National Olympic Committee (NOC) support).The Sydney bid was conducted within that environment by the Bid Company. Evidence available to this Examination indicates that the Bid Company's corporate governance and professionalism was consistent with that found in a well managed and successful company. Turning now to the primary focus of my Examination, strict compliance with the IOC guidelines. The Examination has revealed the following principal findings which, together with other findings, are discussed more fully in section 6: a.Evidence which confirms the inadequacy of the IOC guidelines, the apparent disregard held by most, if not all, bidding cities for the guidelines and the IOC's own failure to ensure adherence to its guidelines. b.Evidence of instances of apparent breaches of the guidelines in the following areas: gifts to many IOC members which in total exceeded US$200 (A$320), however there is no evidence of extravagant gift giving (section 6.2 refers); visits by IOC members to Australia which exceeded five days (section 6.3 refers);visits by officers or representatives of the Bid Company to IOC members in the IOC member countries when the IOC member has visited (or was intending to visit) Sydney (section 6.7 refers); benefits (other than gifts) which included side trips within Australia and trips to international sporting events (section 6.4 refers). c.Evidence of financial assistance to the family members of an IOC member by the Bid Company in apparent breach of the guidelines, and evidence of another payment of tertiary education fees for the daughter of that IOC member by the AOC, which whilst not an apparent breach of the guidelines, is considered by me to be an inducement to secure the support of that IOC member for the Sydney bid (section 6.9 refers). d.Evidence of instances where temporary employment was secured for a family member of an IOC member in apparent breach of the guidelines (section 6.10 refers). e.Extensive use of Cooperation Agreements between the AOC and the NOCs of a number of African countries nvolving in excess of A$2 million of the Bid Company funds which sought to attract the support of a number of African IOC members for the Sydney bid (section 6.11 refers). The Examination also revealed that: a.satisfactory financial and budgetary control procedures were in place within the Bid Company and the certificates of the External Auditors on the annual accounts were unqualified; b.none of these control measures, including the audit plans of both the external and internal auditors, were directed at compliance with the IOC guidelines. Evidence has not come to my attention of any conduct by the Bid Company or any of its officers which should referred for further review by the NSW Police Service or the Independent Commission Against Corruption. I have made recommendations about the IOC guidelines (section 7 refers).