MP defends colleague over budget papers

Labor's shadow treasurer has defended a colleague accused of taking confidential budget papers out of a lockup ahead of the official release time.

Opposition foreign affairs spokeswoman Penny Wong refused to return the documents when the head of Treasury security came to her office, The Daily Telegraph reported on Tuesday.

"Senator Wong did not smuggle the papers out of the budget lockup. She carried them out under her arm," Chris Bowen told reporters in Canberra.

"As she was entitled to do, as every member of the opposition has done as long as anybody can remember."

Mr Bowen said there is a longstanding convention that MPs can leave the lockup at 7pm, with their budget papers ahead of the official 7.30pm release.

The shadow treasurer and fellow Labor frontbencher Jenny Macklin were stopped by treasury officials leaving the lockup and asked to leave their budget papers.

"This was the first time this has ever happened and we did question that decision," Mr Bowen said.

"This is a desperate attempt to smear a respected member of parliament."