The Treasurer and Minister for Finance have confirmed that the 2020-2021 Federal Budget is to be handed down on 6 October with significant modifications to the usual media lock-up arrangements.
In a joint statement, Treasurer Josh Frydenberg and Finance Minister, Senator Mathias Cormann said this year’s lock-up arrangements needed to be adapted to ensure they were compliant with COVID-19 health restrictions.
“To ensure the security and integrity of the Budget, and the health and safety of participants, the usual arrangements for the lock-up have been significantly modified by Treasury,” Mr Frydenberg and Senator Cormann said.
“Numbers of organisations and individuals that will be able to attend the lockup has been necessarily reduced, meaning not all organisations and individuals who have had embargoed access to the Budget in the past will have access this year,” they said.
“The media will be given embargoed access to Budget material in the Press Gallery at Parliament House, and will be limited to those Press Gallery pass holders for whom the Press Gallery is a place of work.”
Mr Frydenberg and Senator Cormann said there would also be limited arrangements in Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney for embargoed access to Budget material.
“Due to the heightened health risks and restrictions, smaller than usual stakeholder lock-ups will be held in Sydney and Canberra,” they said.
“With all COVID-19 mitigations and controls in place, these secure events will be strictly limited.”
Mr Frydenberg and Senator Cormann said strict security and embargo conditions would apply in every location to ensure that Budget information was not broadcast, published or made publicly available prior to its official release at 7.30 pm on 6 October.
