NZ Weather Forum

Manukau heads observer wrote:I see that other people (e.g met service) have commented that they have been told not to comment....

Yes, a few more interesting details from Stuff this morn...
'Jim Salinger: from praise to packing his bags'

Manukau heads observer wrote:maybe its spurred on by someone who wants his job...i.e next in line...

Perhaps, but I'd say it amounts more to what was effectively the breaching of a new-broom bureaucratic gagging-order with regard to 'Climate Change' issues. Also don't forget that as an employee representing NIWA, Salinger's views as an individual (be they scientifically based or not) may not necessarily represent NIWA's policy of the day. NIWA could also play the 'privacy issues' with regard to 'sensitive information' card.

Regardless of who wins, it would be interesting to see how it plays out in the employment courts (not that the public are likely to be privy to the full details) ...

Any "new broom" policy will be the result of a quasi-secret directive from government sources.

Would be interesting to know if such a directive was issued from the National Government. Have we been told when the policy change occurred?

From the link I posted above...

Salinger said the atmosphere at Niwa had changed in the past six months or so, when he was told to "knuckle under, I'm the tall poppy, stand back from media stuff".

Quote from Stuff story

he had talked to Radio New Zealand's Checkpoint about Auckland's hottest day in more than 130 years,

We had wondered where that story had originated at the time. Philip Duncan got a hard time for it and we couldn't find a NIWA media release.

Getting off-topic here but, I think that 'Checkpoint' interview may have been fairly recent. However, and I may be wrong, but at the time I think it may have been Phil and subsequently TVNZ that approached Salinger for comment, rather than the other way around, and if so, all credit to Phil for seeking comment from an 'expert'. The Whenuapai record was never in question. The debate was more about whether one site's rather short-term history in just one isolated area of Akld constituted the term "Auckland's Hottest Day".

Re the Henderson record, I checked that (official?) backyard site and while it met all NIWA's criteria, was exceptionally well maintained and was deemed to be fairly representative of the area, NIWA also had another site just 1km away, which, on hot days, usually seemed to record a little cooler. Unfortunately the first site was decommissioned just 2 months prior to Whenuapai's record (possibly because the property owner moved).

I did intend following-up on the original debate, but the moment seemed to have been lost.

Is either of the Henderson sites you're referring to the one that recorded 33.1C in 1998? Not clear from what you've said.

Oops sorry, was going by memory. Seems both sites are actually still current, but one wasn't updated at time of discussion.

Yes, the Henderson, River Park (backyard) site (1423) is the one that recorded 33.1°C on Feb 3, 1998, while the other Henderson, ARC site (12327), just 1km away, only recorded 29.9°C that day (although it recorded 30.2°C the day before).

On Feb 12, 2009 when Whenuapai recorded 32.4°C, River Park recorded 32.2°C, while the ARC site only recorded 30.5°C.

Follow up story:

http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/2409007 ... resolution

A most revealing interview with Dr Jim Salinger has just aired on National radio.

As far as I am concerned what little faith I had in NIWA has been ruined by this shameful episode. Its outrageous really.

http://www.radionz.co.nz/audio/national ... m_salinger

Yes, doesn't look like any resolution for some months yet...

'Senior climate scientist Salinger takes NIWA to ERA' - NZ Herald
4:56PM Monday May 25, 2009

Senior climate scientist Jim Salinger says mediation with a state-owned science company has failed and he will take his sacking to the Employment Relations Authority...

He told Radio New Zealand today that mediation talks started two weeks ago with Niwa in Auckland had failed to get his job back. "Unfortunately, common sense did not prevail," Dr Salinger said. "The next stage is that we go to the Employment Relations Authority". He expected the authority to hear his case around August.

Dr Salinger's lawyer, Alex Hope, has previously said Dr Salinger should either get his job back on reasonable terms, or get adequate compensation...

(full story...)

Outcome finally released,

http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/3185809 ... tified-ERA