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Embargo Acceptance Form and Rules for Media

Alberta Budget 2011 and 2010111 3rd Quarter Fiscal Update
Budget 2011 and 2010111 3rd Quarter Fiscal Update materials will be made available to the media
on Thursday, February 24, at 8 a.m. Reporters will be required to adhere to embargo rules until the
Minister of Finance and Enterprise begins to deliver the budget address in the Legislative
Assembly.

Reporters who are participating in Budget 2011 and the 2010111 3rd Quarter Fiscal Update must
sign this embargo acceptance form and abide by all terms of the embargo. By signing this embargo
acceptance form and taking the embargoed material into possession, all reporters are committing to
the terms of the embargo not only on their own behalf but also on behalf of the organization they
represent. Embargo rules include the following:

• Only accredited media representatives will be allowed to participate in the embargo.

Reporters must provide proof of which media outlet they represent and only reporters from
recognized media outlets will be accepted, subject to the discretion of Premier's
Communications and/or Finance and Enterprise Communications.

• Only media representatives who have signed the embargo agreement will receive budget
documents, budget media packages, and access to the technical briefing and news
conference. This includes photographers and videographers and any technical support
personnel.

• No coverage of any aspect of Budget 2011 or ministry business plans can appear in the
media, including the Internet and social media (e.g., Twitter, Facebook, etc.), at any time
during the period of the embargo. I

• Media are not allowed to discuss the contents of Budget 2011 or ministry business plans
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.

• Government officials authorized to discuss the budget and business plans include technical
staff assigned to participate in the embargoed technical briefing, and Government of Alberta
communications directors.

• Persorts ~articipating in the embargo may not share or discuss the contents of the budget or
ministry business plans with any media person who has not signed an embargo acceptance
form, including publishers, editors, producers, or co-workers within their own organization.
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• The technical briefing is for media only and is intended to provide additional insight into
and to'answer questions about Budget 2011 and ministry business plans. Information
provided during this briefing is not for attribution, but is for background information only.
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• Government of Alberta communications directors are available throughout Budget Day to

provide background and clarification on the budget as it relates to each director's ministry.
This information is not for attribution, and cannot be published or shared until the embargo
is ended.

• Media are required to adhere to embargo rules until the Minister of Finance and Enterprise
begins the budget address in the Legislative Assembly. To ensure against confusion, a
government official will advise media directly (through Twitter and/or a mass email to
reporters/news directors) that the embargo is lifted.

• Media can move about freely within the Alberta Legislature (or McDougall Centre in
Calgary) but are not allowed to exit the building. Exceptions may be allowed with approval
from a designated government official.

• Budget documents and media packages can be viewed or referenced only within media
offices, the general media work area, and/or the technical briefing/news conference room
(512).

• Any information received about Budget 2011 must stay within the Legislature of Alberta (or
McDougall Centre in Calgary). This means it cannot be emailed, phoned, faxed, texted, or
sent by any other form of transmission, electronic or otherwise, to anyone or any
establishment outside the aforementioned two buildings. EXCEPTION: Reporters may
discuss the information with Alberta government communications directors who are not in
the Alberta legislature.

• Any reporter and/or media outlet found to be in breach of this embargo will be subject to
sanction, which may include a ban from future Alberta government embargoes.

Any reporter and/or media outlet found to be in breach of this embargo will be subject to punitive
action, which fllay include a ban from future Alberta government announcements.

Any questions aBout the embargo can be addressed to Bart Johnson, Director of Communications,
Alberta Finanke and Enterprise, at 780-427-5364.

By signing this sheet, I agree to abide by these embargo rules.

Name (please print) Media Affiliation

Signature Time and Date