Boscawen John: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Boscawen John: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:660;Page:9037] 
3. 
JOHN BOSCAWEN (ACT) 
 to the  
Minister of Research Science and Technology 
: Did he seek advice before telling the House yesterday that the up-to-date schedule of adjustments made to the raw temperature data used in calculating NIWA’s official series “Mean annual temperature over New Zealand from 1853 to 2008” is “not set out as a singular document … . Rather it is a range of material all of which is available on the institute’s website”; if so from whom did he seek that advice? 
Hon Dr WAYNE MAPP (Minister of Research Science and Technology) 
: 
 Yes I did seek advice before I answered the question in the House yesterday and I sought that advice from the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research. My statements in the House were based on the range of material provided by the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research. This morning I was provided with a document by the institute entitled “The NIWA ‘Seven-Station’ Temperature Series”. This is a five-page document that includes a table of adjustments of the seven locations. The title of the document had been supplied to me yesterday but not the document itself and at that stage I did not appreciate that it contained a table. I have since provided the document to Mr Boscawen along with a specific document of adjustments to the Hokitika site which is one of the seven sites. I will seek to table both of these documents in the House today. I have also arranged for the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research to brief Mr Boscawen on the issue of temperature adjustment of the seven reference sites. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: I accept that the Minister was—[ 
Interruption 
] I am on my feet. I appreciate that the Minister was giving helpful information but we cannot go on indefinitely with answers. 
John Boscawen 
: Is the Minister aware that the document he has just referred to contains a detailed analysis of only one of the sites in the institute’s seven-station temperature series and that this document falls well short of a schedule of adjustments which explains not just what adjustments have been made but also why they have been made; and will he commit to tabling in the House a full up-to-date schedule of adjustments? 
Hon Dr WAYNE MAPP 
: I have just committed to tabling the relevant document but I might note that there are actually two documents. The first is the temperature series and the second is the more detailed information about the Hokitika site. The National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research is going to do a full study or review of each of the seven sites and those documents will be tabled. 
Colin King 
: What additional work will the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research undertake in addition to the seven-station series? 
Hon Dr WAYNE MAPP 
: The Government is well aware as indeed New Zealanders are of the importance of these issues as indeed is the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research. That is why it is undertaking a full review of each of the seven reference sites as it has already done with the Hokitika site. I might also note because this issue came up yesterday as well that I have asked the institute to look at the public usability of its website so that the key documents on climate change are more accessible as one goes through the website. 
John Boscawen 
: Was the Minister aware yesterday that the general counsel of the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research Mr Tim Mahood has already admitted in writing on 29 January that the institute does not hold copies of the original worksheets and complete records used to construct the official New Zealand temperature series that staff are retrospectively reconstructing the reasons for the station data adjustments and that therefore his answer to the House yesterday that the information is available on the institute’s website is demonstrably false? 
Hon Dr WAYNE MAPP 
: I am not aware of the information about the general counsel. The documents I have referred to today are dated 9 February 2010 and were placed on the website at this point in time. The institute is very confident that it has done a robust analysis. Can I also say that because there is essentially a reconstruction of history when sites are shifted they do not simultaneously exist in both places. Necessarily it is in the nature of estimates but of course based on appropriate scientific methodology. 
I seek leave to table two documents in the House. The first is the document from the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research entitled “The NIWA ‘Seven-Station’ Temperature Series” dated 9 February 2010 which does include the schedule. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Leave is sought to table that document. Is there any objection? There is no objection. 
Document by leave laid on the Table of the House. 
Hon Dr WAYNE MAPP 
: I seek leave to table the second document “Creating a Composite Temperature Record for Hokitika” which is also dated 9 February 2010. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Leave is sought to table that document. Is there any objection? There is no objection. 
Document by leave laid on the Table of the House. 
John Boscawen 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. The Minister referred to the document he is proposing to table as containing the schedule. I wonder whether he could explain to the House what that schedule refers to because our understanding— 
Mr SPEAKER 
: No the member cannot do that. The Minister adequately described the documents that he was seeking leave to table. The House has approved the tabling of those documents and that is the end of that matter.