Hide Rodney: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Hide Rodney: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:663;Page:10882] 
7. 
Hon RODNEY HIDE (Leader—ACT) 
 to the  
Minister of Research Science and Technology 
: Has he seen Hon Barry Brill’s article  
Crisis in New Zealand climatology 
 raising questions regarding the integrity of NIWA’s “seven-station” series published on Quadrant Online and picked up by Anthony Watts’ science news site and what action if any has he taken since becoming Minister to ensure that NIWA maintains reputable scientific standards? 
Hon Dr WAYNE MAPP (Minister of Research Science and Technology) 
: 
 Yes I have read the article that the member refers to. I have also discussed the climate research done by the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA) with the chair the chief executive and the chief climate scientist of NIWA Dr Wratt. I have confidence that NIWA maintains reputable scientific standards. 
Hon Rodney Hide 
: Does he have concerns about NIWA when Dr Jim Salinger who manufactured  
The NIWA ‘Seven-Station’ Temperature Series 
 for New Zealand without any supporting documentation was sacked from NIWA for inappropriate behaviour and now figures prominently in the email loop of the discredited and demonstrably dishonest climate scientists exposed in “climate-gate”; if not why not? 
Hon David Cunliffe 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I was disturbed to hear that question because the member appeared to be impugning the integrity on the record of a member of the public. From my understanding the matter to which the member referred has been before the courts as an employment matter and bore no relation whatsoever to the data the Minister referred to. So he is impugning incorrectly a member of the public. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: It was difficult for me to hear exactly what the member was saying which happens when the House is noisy. But I picked up that the member’s question included some unnecessary comments about individuals—comments that were not essential to the question he was asking. I ask him to reword his question to avoid allegations that are not essential to the question. 
Hon Rodney Hide 
: Does he have concerns about NIWA when Dr Jim Salinger who manufactured the “seven-station” temperature series for New Zealand without any supporting documentation was sacked from NIWA for misconduct and we now learn figures prominently in the email loop of the discredited and demonstrably dishonest climate scientists exposed in “climate-gate”; if not why not? 
Hon Gerry Brownlee 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. The question is fine to the point where there is a description of those whose evidence the question is relying on. I think you would need to rule that at least part of the question is out of order. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: It would seem to me that the point the Hon Gerry Brownlee makes is reasonable. I do not believe it is necessary in that question to allege that anyone is dishonest. The question can be asked without that unnecessary description which is an opinion of certain evidence. We have heard the question and I rule that part—where he alleged that certain scientists have been dishonest—out of order. 
Hon Dr WAYNE MAPP 
: No. 
Hon Rodney Hide 
: Does the Minister agree with the Hon Barry Brill in his article for Quadrant Online when he concludes that the “seven-station” series is “irretrievably tainted by self-interest personal bias and abuse of trust - and is wholly illegitimate”; if not why does he not agree with that description? 
Hon Dr WAYNE MAPP 
: NIWA are the scientists; Barry Brill is not.