EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:

Reports indicate that computers belonging to the Treasury Department of New Zealand have been hacked, sending shock waves across the globe, worrying federal financial departments worldwide.

The hack manifested as a surprise early release of a portion of the country’s national budget.

“The dramatic events come two days before the government is due to release its second annual budget,” writes Bloomberg. The Prime Minister, Jacinda Arden, asserts that this particular budget will highlight metrics that will have an impact on people’s lives, rather than purely focusing on economic growth.

The National Party released the numbers, but it is unclear as to the perpetrator of the hack, and whether or not the National Party obtained the numbers intentionally or erroneously. The attack is currently being investigated by authorities.

The leader of the National Party, Simon Bridges, contends that publishing the numbers available to him was an entirely acceptable action to take, and that New Zealand’s Finance Minister, Grant Robertson “has falsely smeared us to cover his and the Treasury’s incompetence.”

Meanwhile, the Minister of Finance has remained even keeled, and is pushing the country’s politics forward at a steady clip. “What New Zealanders care about are the issues that will be dealt with in the Wellbeing Budget on Thursday, and that is what we continue to be focused on,” said Finance Minister Grant Robertson.

Get the full story from Bloomberg.