Due to ongoing COVID-19 public health restrictions and capacity at Confederation Building complex, stakeholder lock-ins for Budget 2020 will be limited and will feature different processes.

This year, only those stakeholders who are identified by media to take part in their Budget Day coverage will be invited to in-person lock-ins, while all other stakeholders who normally participate will be invited to WebEx briefings at 4:00 p.m. with Department of Finance officials. Invitations and additional information for participating stakeholders will be issued starting on Monday, September 28.

For those stakeholders who take part in person, other changes to the process include:

• Each invited group will be permitted to bring only one or two representatives, depending on their registration numbers from the year prior.
• As lock-ins are less than two hours, no lunch will be provided. Participants will receive snacks and water but should make lunch arrangements prior to the lock-in.
• Normal mask requirements for public buildings will be in effect. Once stakeholders are seated in their designated spots in the lock-in they can remove their masks, but must always wear a mask when moving about the room.
• Any registered stakeholders who come down with COVID-19 symptoms on or before Budget Day are not permitted to attend the lock-in, but can send another representative in their place.

As is usual process, all caucus and opposition groups will receive lock-in briefings regardless of media registration, with potential limits on participant numbers depending on space. All groups will be contacted in the coming days.

Entering the lock-in
Stakeholders may enter the lock-in at any time after 12:15 p.m. via the visitors entrance. Upon entering, however, a person must remain in the lock-in until 1:55 p.m. at which point they will be escorted to the media area.

Embargo procedures
During the lock-in, stakeholders will be provided with advance copies of the budget documents. Anyone entering the lock-in is required to sign an undertaking to respect the release arrangements to not remove, release or communicate documents, materials, information or other records of any nature whatsoever provided in the lock-in to anyone in any manner until the embargo is lifted.

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Media contact
Marc Budgell
Finance
709-729-2477, 689-0430
marcbudgell@gov.nl.ca