Simon Bridges shows how restricted Budget material was accessed, calls Treasury response 'contemptible'

The National Party leader said the information was so easy to access, a grandmother could have done it.

National Party Leader Simon Bridges has called for Treasury Secretary Gabriel Makhlouf to resign over the early release of Budget information this week, as Finance Minister Grant Robertson also says he is "disappointed" with Treasury.

In a press conference today, Mr Bridges claimed Treasury had "sat on a lie" since Tuesday over how details of the Budget were accessed. 

Mr Bridges played a video demonstrating how the material was accessed on the Treasury website - through the exploitation of indexed search result snippets - and said it was so simple to do even a child or a grandmother could do it.

Gabriel Makhlouf is under fire after complaining to police over a claimed hack of information from its website, something that has a much simpler explanation.

"Any member of the New Zealand public could have accessed this if they had an interest in the Budget," he said.

Treasury confirmed this morning that a flaw in its website search tool was used to access the information, but police concluded this did not break the law.

On Tuesday, Mr Bridges released information obtained through the exploit, which prompted Treasury to release a statement saying it had been "hacked" and that the matter was referred to police.

Mr Robertson then released a statement saying the access was "extremely serious and is now a matter for the police", as well as urging the National Party to not release any more of the information.

This morning, Mr Bridges called for both Mr Makhlouf and Mr Robertson to resign, as well as demanding an apology from deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters for what he said was the smearing of his party.

"He [Mr Makhlouf] must resign, but it's also been ministers who have been deeply dishonest," Mr Bridges said.

"What has happened this week is the most contemptible thing in New Zealand politics I've seen."

Mr Bridges was, in fact, calling for something that has already happened - Mr Makhlouf announced on May 2 that he is leaving his role to take the reins at Ireland's Central Bank.

Simon Bridges says his party has done nothing illegal.

Mr Robertson, following Mr Bridges' press conference, also released a statement, saying he is "very disappointed that confidential Budget information was able to be accessed in this way.

"I am also very disappointed that the Treasury did not seek to find more information as to how this happened before referring the matter to the police.

"I now await the inquiry of the State Services Commissioner into this matter."

Mr Bridges yesterday emphasised to reporters that the information was "absolutely" not obtained by hacking, but this morning he did not reveal who had made him aware of the exploit on the Treasury website, or who provided the information to him.

Mr Bridges alleged that Treasury "has known since Tuesday exactly what happened - and they covered it up to hide their incompetence.

"They have sat on a lie, calling the National Party criminal hackers and calling in the police," he said.

Mr Bridges said Treasury made changes that were necessary on Tuesday, "and on Wednesday I was told by sources in Treasury they knew they were sitting on a lie.

"It shows a bungling incompetence... but it also shows how this Government reacts under pressure - and that is deeply dishonestly, and with smears on the Opposition ... bringing in the police."

Speaking this morning to TVNZ1's Breakfast programme, former Labour Party president Mike Williams said while the accessing of the information wasn't unlawful, it was unethical.

“Just because you’ve left your gate open doesn’t mean somebody can come and steal your sheep,” Mike Williams told Breakfast.

"If you've left your gate open it doesn't mean somebody can come and steal your sheep - that's effectively what has happened," Mr Williams said.

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