Senator Penny Wong took confidential Budget papers from lockup
PENNY Wong took confidential Budget papers from the official lockup in a major security breach — then refused to come out of her office when the head of Treasury Security arrived to retrieve the documents.
NSW
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PENNY Wong took confidential Budget papers from the official lockup in a major security breach — then refused to come out of her office when the head of Treasury Security arrived to retrieve the documents.
Around the same time Senator Wong sneaked the Budget papers out of the lockup, Shadow Treasurer Chris Bowen and Labor MP Jenny Macklin are accused of speaking to three young female Treasury officials in an “aggressive” and “argumentative” manner when they were prevented from leaving the lockup with their Budget papers half an hour before the strict embargo was lifted.
The three women reported Mr Bowen and Ms Macklin’s conduct to senior Treasury staff in the lockup, who asked for a security team to handle the situation.
Government sources familiar with the heated conversation in the Opposition lockup said Mr Bowen and Ms Macklin’s conduct towards the young women was “unwarranted”.
Treasury was trying to enforce strict rules that the Budget is embargoed until 7.30pm and no one can leave the lockup zone with the documents until then.
MPs have permission to leave at 7pm to attend Parliament, but according to strict Treasury rules, they cannot take their documents with them.
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Ms Macklin is understood to have said words to the effect of: “I’ve been doing this for 20 years. I know what I”m allowed to do. I know the rules.”
Labor rejects that Senator Wong, Ms Macklin or Mr Bowen behaved in anything other than a polite and respectful manner.
When Senator Wong slipped out of the lockup with the Budget papers at around 7pm, the Treasury Security head went to her office to retrieve the documents.
But Senator Wong did not come out of her office to speak with him and declined to return the papers.
Senator Wong and Ms Macklin did not respond to questions from The Daily Telegraph.
Treasury would not comment on whether it had launched a formal investigation into the security breach. “It is not appropriate for the Treasury to discuss this matter publicly,” a spokeswoman said.
The Daily Telegraph understands the incident will form part of Treasury’s review of this year’s lockup.
Restricting Senator Wong’s access to future lockups is an option available to the government and Treasury.
Mr Bowen said there was a “longstanding convention” MPs can leave the lockup at 7pm, “including with their budget papers which in many cases have notes and mark-ups.”
“This year, for the first time and with no warning or consultation, members were told at 7pm they could not take their budget papers with them,” he said.
“This is an outrageous change and I will be using the Budget Estimates process to examine who ordered this unprecedented change.”