 Longstanding Crikey political commentators/reporters have included former Liberal insider Christian Kerr (who originally wrote under the pseudonym "Hillary Bray"), Guy Rundle, Charles Richardson, Bernard Keane, Mungo MacCallum and Hugo Kelly.In 2003 Stephen Mayne, the then proprietor, was forced to sell his house in order to settle defamation cases brought by radio presenter Steve Price and former ALP senator Nick Bolkus over false statements published about them by Crikey.Staff of then treasurer Peter Costello banned Crikey from the 2005, 2006 and 2007 budget 'lock ups', in which financial journalists are shown the federal budget papers some hours in advance so that their publications can report the budget in depth as soon as it is released, on the grounds that Crikey is not considered to be part of the "mainstream media".