No, really — what are they hiding?!

All of the 159 documents in BoM’s “Schedule” are said to be communications received in confidence by the Australian Federal Government from a foreign Government.

Hah!

They simply cannot reconcile that claim with these actual Bureau descriptions:

Have a look at them:

DocDatePagesAuthorDescription
498/10/20103BureauInternal discussion regarding media coverage of NIWA Court case leading to preparation of Senate Estimates briefing.
508/10/20103BureauAttachment to Doc 49.
518/10/20102BureauDraft doc outlining review process, for Senate briefing.
528/10/20104BureauFurther discussion re media coverage NIWA case.
538/10/20103BureauAttachment to Doc 52. Draft briefing for Estimates.
548/10/20104BureauFurther discussion re media coverage NIWA case.
558/10/20103BureauDraft briefing for Senate Estimates.
14121/12/101BureauInternal discussion re media interest in NIWA case, and Bureau media response policy.
15023/12/102BureauFurther discussion re media response policy.
15123/12/103BureauBureau media management policy for NIWA review.

These documents didn’t come from a foreign country, much less a foreign Government — the Bureau’s own staff wrote them! It was surely never the purpose of the Freedom Of Information Act to give conniving public servants something to hide behind.

The descriptions in this list have the ring of a highly-politicised Government department which relies on media spin far above the traditional scientific quest for truth.

The Bureau’s management should release these documents immediately, before public suspicions are aroused. More damage will be done to their reputation by stubborn refusal, obfuscation and delaying tactics than by confessing some minor infractions in procedure.

Let them reflect on what has happened to NIWA, who, instead of sensibly agreeing that they could not provide the temperature adjustments and it would be a good idea to reconstruct the series, carried on a stupid fight for months before finally agreeing to reconstruct the series!

It’s a disgrace. What is the Bureau hiding?

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2 Thoughts on “No, really — what are they hiding?!

  1. Mike Jowsey on 15/05/2011 at 8:42 am said:

    What are they hiding? They are covering their bare, spotty bums from being whacked by the rod of scrutiny, insight and truth. Prevention of divulgence of correspondence which would reveal unethical, or at best unprofessional, conduct is much easier to accomplish than concocting media spin and managing damage control.

    I have emailed Jo Nova to see if she can publicise the matters you raise.

  2. Mike Jowsey on 15/05/2011 at 8:54 am said:

    A couple of years ago the BoM made an embarrassing back-down on claims that Antartica was heating up:

    Dr Watkins declined to release the temperature data to The Weekend Australian. He said it had still to be fully analysed by the bureau.

    Nationals Senate leader Barnaby Joyce said he hoped all government agencies would co-operate in helping to inform the global warming debate.

    “These agencies need to be able to dispense the facts without fear or bias,” he said.

    http://www.warwickhughes.com/blog/?p=217

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