Another year, another budget locked. Most voters probably only look at it, just to keep an eye on what is capable of them, or which loads go up or down.
Some people can even worry about debts and shortages – but maybe less than once.
Away from such a disinterest in the budget, journalists cannot escape it. Tonight the treasurer Jim Chalmers will hold his budget speech.
Although more Australians probably want to see if his wife Laura is again wearing an expensive designer outfit while watching, it is the task of political and economic journalists to understand the details within the budget.
And more importantly, they must ensure that not only to concentrate on what the treasurer chooses to emphasize in his speech – that is an exercise in spin, let's be honest.
The parts of the budget that matter the most are usually hidden within the thousands of pages with details dumped on journalists when they enter the official lock.
Ah, the lock … An artificial vacuum on time. It starts at 1.30 p.m.
Journalists give their phones and promise (under the threat of the prison) not to try to gain access to the internet or to make contact with the outside world in any way during the next six hours, until the treasurer starts his speech.
More Australians probably want to see whether treasurer Jim Chalmers' wife Laura (shown together on Budget Day 2024) is again wearing an expensive designer outfit while watching
The apparent reason for this is that where they are preventive access to getting market -sensitive information.
But the reality is that the majority of what is in every budget is leaked by the government in advance, in an attempt to generate good news in the run -up for days … or soften the blow of the bad news on the budget evening itself.
Why don't they all go to prison for breaking their silence about what is in the budget?
The Lock -Up is located in the Parliament House, now specifically in the press gallery itself. Treasury civil servants roam the corridors and look through with bead eyes that check that no one is breaking the rules.
Once you are inside, you save a medical emergency, you can't get out. Even then you can die better or they will just send a doctor to take care of you, so that they also stay inside.
The food is terrible. The company – dozens out of dozens of journalists – is not much better. Fortunately for me they will only read this after they (we) have been out, so they thought twice as my beautiful conversation with them – between writing endless pars about this boring budget – was recorded.
You can probably see that I am cynical all over the Charade. It comes from having 15 of these things.
The real goal behind locking everyone is to force journalists in the throat to throat only one side of the budget story.
The real goal behind locking everyone is to force journalists in the throat to thread only one side of the budget story
For example, you cannot get expert insights from economists. You cannot sound the opposition or the crossbench for their thoughts about the budget. You can't call former treasurers to hear what they think.
Locked journalists only hear from the treasurer – who walks around the lock like a poor man Rockster – his staff and treasury civil servants. It is the most one -sided six hours of the life of a journalists.
The more lock -ups you have been, the less susceptible to the spider you become. The better you understand what you should look for. The less dependent on the summary remarks and the word for word copy of the treasurer's speech.
Knowing where to look within the budget papers is the antidote for the political twist.
The treasurer has a media conference within the lock to help those present build their news stories and analysis that go live after it is over.
Few journalists take the trouble to view the actual speech of the treasurer. Some of course do to choose his dictation or see if he makes changes compared to the divided copies.
The politicians are all in the room who pretend they are impressed or not impressed by what Chalmers has to say before they find their way to the various fundraising events.
This is the really important part of the night for the political parties, especially with an election around the corner.
Another year, another budget locked. Most voters probably only look at it, just to keep an eye on what is in mind for them, or which loads go up or down
So save a thought for all of us journalists, probably on a cold spring roll to understand the budget, while she has been staring at the treasury of the treasury all the time.
This year the budget -Nasleep will quickly make way for the siren call of the election campaign.
But for that we hear from the opposition leader Peter Dutton on Thursday evening with his speech with budget answer.
The best news about that? No lock in advance ….
