Auditors To Check The Books

The Department of Canadian Heritage is hiring an auditor to check the 2010 Winter Olympics organising committee's (VANOC) books.

The audit is aimed at providing the department's Olympic secretariat with the assurance that VANOC, has adequate and effective management controls, risk-management frameworks and overall governance structures.

It also wants to ensure that money provided was used for the intended purpose, and recommend improvements in the way the committee and the department manage the venture.

In August, Partnerships B.C., part of the Ministry of Economic Development that oversees the Olympics, released a due diligence report that queried VANOC's approach to budgeting and recommended changes.

However, the head of the Vancouver Olympic Organising Committee says there's nothing unusual in Ottawa's plan to look at spending for 2010 Olympic preparations.

John Furlong, the committee's CEO, said such reviews are expected and done regularly by Ottawa and the B.C. government.

He says the audit will only look at how the federal government's part of the Olympic construction budget is being spent.

Nonetheless the federal government recently added another $55M towards Games venue construction, with a warning that it would be the last contribution.

Maybe they are worried about how the money is being spent?

Football Nationalism

Plans by Olympic chiefs to push ahead with a British soccer team for the 2008 and 2012 Olympics may well fall into disarray, as both Scotland and Wales kick up a fuss over losing their national identities on the field.

The Football Associations of Wales and Scotland boycotted a British Olympics Association meeting last week. In their absence, it was agreed to enter a British women's team in 2008 and men's and women's in 2012.

The Welsh and Scottish FAs are worried that it may set a precedent for all-British teams in the World Cup and European Championship.

Welsh Culture Minister Alun Pugh said:

"I would be concerned at any steps that could lead to the eventual abolition of the FAW as a national association and having a British team participating in football World Cups and European Championships."

Does it really matter?

Carry on Cruising

The Vancouver Organizing Committee (VANOC) for the 2010 Winter Olympics have managed to upset the International Olympic Committee (IOC), who were a tad dismissive of VOC's suggestion for journalistic accommodation for the Winter Games 2010.

VANOC suggested that a cruise ship village in Squamish, at the head of Howe Sound, 54 kilometres from Whistler, be used to accommodate some of the 10,000 media representatives who are expected at the Winter Games.

The plan was dismissed by the IOC as being "inappropriate."

IOC press commission chairman, Kevan Gosper, said:

"Let's say the idea was firmly and politely rejected. Whilst a cruise ship may be suitable for tourists and corporates, we don't think it was an appropriate option for as important a working group as the press."

VANOC are reportedly going to try to persuade the IOC to change their mind.