A couple of comments.

First, it seems quite clear that the forecast of long-term deficits was withheld because of the bad press it would create.. This seems tactically smart, although a little craven.

Second, it raises the interesting possibility that the government truly believes its forecasts out five years and more are reliable. 

Please, Bill, say it ain't so. You're an actuary, you must surely know that predictions are wrong by definition and the further out you go the more likely you are to be wildly wrong. Use this bad news as a tool to focus government attention on mitigating actions. Don't try to suppress it. As long as you're the government, you've got a country  to run.