Treasury officials working on sensitive documents at home

Treasury officials are working from home on sensitive Budget documents after a fire closed the agency’s headquarters. The Government’s first Budget will be published on May 30, with all eyes on how Finance Minister Nicola Willis plans to deliver promised tax cuts. But staff have been out of the office since an electrical fire broke out in the basement of 1 The Terrace mid-last month. A Treasury spokesperson said they are in the process of returning, with all teams expected to be back in the office by early April. He confirmed some employees were working from home on Budget-sensitive material, but that strict security protocols still apply. “Working away from the office is a normal part of the Treasury’s operations and has been since we improved our flexible working capabilities in 2018,” he said. “Working remotely is enabled with technology and allowed us to deliver a Budget, largely remotely, during the Covid lockdowns. “From that perspective being out of the building as a result of the fire is a minimal disruption to the operation of the Treasury.” Budget details are kept closely guarded because the information is market sensitive. Treasury’s internal security guidelines instruct staff that the same requirements apply when working from home or in the office. The manual warns against leaving sensitive documents in shared spaces or having work conversations where anyone might overhear. “Think about your home office set-up and whether anyone might be able to see what’s on your screen,” the manual says. In May 2019, Treasury was left red-faced by what became known as the Budget smuggling incident. Police were called in after it was feared papers were hacked, when National released pages which should have been under strict embargo. It later emerged Treasury had prepared a “clone” website ahead of the Budget’s release, and Opposition staff had simply used the search function.