“Shameful”: Opposition parties angered by budget leaks

Opposition parties in the Tweede Kamer, the lower house of Dutch parliament, are outraged that parts of the 2017 Budget documents leaked to the media. ChristenUnie leader Gert-Jan Segers called the leak "shameful", RTL Nieuws reports. The SP wants answers from Prime Minister Mark Rutte on how and why the documents were revealed to the media before the Kamer. Parliamentarian Ronald van Raak called it "ridiculous" that the Kamer still has to wait for next Friday and then sign for a USB containing the documents already in the media. "It was leaked by the government, so they must simply publish the pieces now", he said to the broadcaster. The D66 expressed similar sentiments. "As far as we're concerned, the Budget Day documents must immediately be sent to the Kamer. Why must parliament wait another two weeks when the media already has the information?" a spokesperson said, according to RTL.