Was it something we said? Seems we’re back to the Costello era of Crikey being banned from Treasury lock-ups — we’ve been refused entry to the lock-up that will precede the release of the banking royal commission on Monday afternoon. “At capacity”, we’re told, despite Crikey firing off a response requesting access mere seconds after the issuing of the invitation.

After being blocked by Costello for years, Wayne Swan allowed Crikey into the budget lock-up in 2008 and Treasurers Joe Hockey and Scott Morrison continued that despite our frequently less-than-glowing coverage of all three of them. 

Perhaps when Josh Frydenberg hung out with Peter Costello — now chair of a competitor of Crikey — on his promotion to Treasurer, Dollar Sweetie gave him the good oil on how to be thin-skinned and precious about whom you admit to lock-ups? Or maybe it’s Treasury bureaucrats grumpy that we’ve been blunt about how inappropriate Phil Gaetjens is to be secretary of Treasury? Or is Frydenberg unhappy with our coverage of him? Whatever it is, it’s petty, petty stuff.