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Part of Budget and finance

Budget media embargo registration

Embargo process, rules and acceptance form for media representatives who plan to participate in the Budget 2025 embargo.

Budget 2025 date and time

President of Treasury Board and Minister of Finance Nate Horner will table Budget 2025 in the Alberta legislature on February 27, 2025 at approximately 3:15 pm.

Embargo procedures

Budget 2025 materials will be sent on Thursday, February 27, 2025 between 7 am and 8 am to media representatives who have completed the embargo acceptance process. Media representatives and their media organizations must adhere to the embargo rules until the President of Treasury Board and Minister of Finance begins to deliver the budget address in the Legislative Assembly.

Media representatives participating in the Budget 2025 embargo must complete the online budget embargo acceptance form and provide all requested information.

Only media representatives who have signed the embargo agreement will receive the embargo materials and may not share the materials with anyone who has not signed the agreement, even within their own newsroom.

By signing the budget embargo acceptance form and taking the embargoed material into possession, media representatives are committing to the terms of the embargo not only on their own behalf but also on behalf of the organization they represent.

Media representatives who plan to participate in the Budget 2025 embargo must complete the budget embargo acceptance form online by 4:30 pm, Wednesday, February 26, 2025.

Embargo rules

Embargo rules include the following:

  • Media representatives who have completed the embargo acceptance process will receive budget media packages and access to the embargoed briefing with department officials (teleconference only) as well as the embargoed news conference (in person and by teleconference).
  • Media representatives must call in to the embargoed briefing and the embargoed news conference (if joining by teleconference) between 30 and 10 minutes prior to the scheduled start time. No one will be admitted after this window. For both the embargoed briefing and the embargoed news conference, media must remain on the line until the briefing is completed – no one who leaves the call will be allowed to rejoin.
  • Media representatives who attend the embargoed news conference in person must arrive no later than 15 minutes before the start of the news conference to give ample time to check in, be escorted to the location and set up.
  • No coverage of any aspect of Budget 2025 (e.g. budget-related documents) can appear in the media, including the internet and social media (e.g. X, Facebook, etc.), at any time during the period of the embargo.
  • Media representatives participating in the embargo are not to use social media (e.g. X, Facebook, Instagram, etc.) for any reason until the embargo is lifted.
  • Media representatives are not allowed to discuss the contents of Budget 2025 or related budget documents with anyone other than authorized government officials prior to the lifting of the embargo. This includes any Minister or MLA, any member of any MLA’s staff, any employee of any government department, any member of the public, or any other person not explicitly authorized to discuss the budget before the embargo is lifted.
  • The only government officials authorized to discuss the budget documents and business plans during the embargo period on budget day are technical staff assigned to participate in the embargoed technical briefing, as well as the press secretary for Treasury Board and Finance.
  • Media representatives participating in the embargo may not share or discuss Budget 2025 or related budget documents with anyone who has not signed the budget embargo acceptance form, including publishers, editors, producers or co-workers within their own organization.
  • Embargoed information cannot be emailed, phoned, faxed, texted, or communicated by any other form of transmission, electronic or otherwise, to anyone who has not signed an embargo form.
  • The embargoed briefing is for media representatives only and is intended to answer questions about Budget 2025. Information provided during this briefing is not for attribution and is for background information only.
  • Department staff are available throughout budget day to provide background and clarification on the budget as it relates to each ministry. This information is not for attribution, and cannot be published or shared until the embargo is lifted. Questions should be emailed to tbf.communications@gov.ab.ca. Responses will be provided in a return email.
  • Media representatives are required to adhere to embargo rules until the President of Treasury Board and Minister of Finance begins the budget address in the Legislative Assembly. To prevent confusion, a government official will advise media directly that the embargo is lifted.
  • Any media representative and/or media outlet found to be in breach of this embargo will be subject to sanction which may include, but is not limited to, a ban from future Alberta government embargoes, including Budget 2026 for their entire media outlet.

Budget embargo acceptance form

Budget Embargo acceptance forms must be completed by 4:30 pm (Mountain Standard Time) on Wednesday, February 26, 2025. The online form will be unavailable after this deadline.

Any questions about the embargo can be addressed to Treasury Board and Finance Communications.