23 April 2010

Australia's Future Tax System Review

The Treasurer will release the Australia's Future Tax System Review (AFTSR) and outline the Government's initial response on Sunday 2 May 2010.

This will take the form of a media lock-up conducted under the same conditions as last year's Budget lock-up. The AFTSR lock-up will commence at 10.00 am and will conclude at 2.30 pm. Published material will be made available to approved media under embargo in a secure area in Parliament House, Canberra, from 10.00 am, with the embargo to be lifted at 2.30 pm at the conclusion of the lock-up. All published materials will be publicly available via the treasury website (www.treasury.gov.au) from 2.30 pm.

The Treasurer will hold a press conference under embargo inside the lock-up at a time to be advised.

For access to the lock-up, media organisations should notify the Treasury. Please email aftslockup@treasury.gov.au by 5.00 pm, Wednesday 28 April 2010 with the name of your organisation and the names and positions of employees you would like to attend.

Please nominate only the minimum number of essential employees, as space in the lock-up is strictly limited.

Media can sign in from 9.00 am, which will allow access to a pre-lock-up area but not to published material. Media will need to provide proof of employment and a Form of Undertaking [PDF 17KB], which should be filled out in advance but signed and witnessed by a Treasury official when signing in to the lock-up. Once signed in, attendees will not be able to leave this pre-lock-up area until the lock-up commences at 10.00 am. At 10.00 am, those already signed in will be able to move immediately into the venue and collect their documents.

Attendees are asked to observe the same security conditions that apply to Budget lock-ups:

  • Attendees may not make contact with anyone outside the lock-up area prior to the conclusion of the lock-up at 2.30 pm.
  • Information obtained in the lock-up may not be broadcast, published or made publicly available before the lock-up concludes.
  • Equipment capable of transmitting information outside the lock-up is not permitted in the lock-up, unless specifically approved in writing by the Treasury. This includes cellular/digital telephones, pagers, handsets, computers and personal data assistants (PDAs). Secure storage facilities will be available outside the lock-up area.
  • Sub-lock-up arrangements will not be available for the AFTSR lock-up.
  • Please note that the lock-up area will be monitored for non-authorised transmissions.
  • Once signed in, attendees may not leave the lock-up area until the lock-up concludes at 2:30 pm, except in the case of emergency.
  • Smoking is not permitted in any part of the lock-up area, and attendees will not have access to smoking areas during the lock-up.

Attendees will be required to vacate the lock-up area by 5.00 pm.

Stakeholder lock-up arrangements will also be available. Stakeholders should contact Treasury to register interest. Please email: aftslockup@treasury.gov.au.