Half-Year Economic and Fiscal Update/Budget Policy Statement Lock-up

What#

Embargoed lockup for:

• HYEFU, including a presentation by Secretary to the Treasury Gabriel Makhlouf
• BPS, including a presentation by Minister of Finance Bill English.

Where#

Level 5, the Treasury, 1 The Terrace, Wellington

When#

Tuesday 18 December 2012.

Journalists and analysts who have registered for the embargoed lock-up are free to arrive any time after the doors open, but please note that once documents are distributed, then attendees will not be allowed to exit until the embargo is lifted.  By registering to attend, you agree to follow the lock-up rules established by the Treasury.

Camera crew#

If your news organisation needs camera crew and equipment at the lock-up, you must indicate that with your RSVP. The lock-up rules apply to camera crew.

Note to Editors#

All relevant material will be posted on the Treasury website after the embargo is lifted.

Treasury rules for lock-ups#

• These rules apply to all analysts, journalists, camera crew, technicians or anyone attending the lock-up who is not a staff member of the Treasury. 
• Other than escorted visits to the bathroom, nobody will be permitted to leave the lock-up once documents have been distributed.
• No information may be released or transmitted from the lock-up until after the embargo has been lifted at 12:30pm on Tuesday 18 December 2012.
• Mobile phones, data cards, wireless networking and other communication devices or services must be disconnected or switched off during the lock-up.
• If there is an emergency such as a fire alarm, the lock-up will be immediately ended and attendees will be asked to evacuate the building in order to ensure their safety.

Compliance with the embargo provisions is a serious matter.  Any organisation or individual found to breach the embargo provisions may find that s/he and the organisation that s/he represents will be refused permission to attend future lock-ups hosted by the Treasury.