Dearth of a Spokesman, redux

But he denied he breached the policy over two contacts he had with TVNZ this year. He said he believed the policy stopped him from making statements but not from contacting media by phone.

Dr Salinger said one of those contacts, a call to One News weatherman Jim Hickey about rain he saw on the West Coast while on holiday, was a call to a friend made as an individual rather than as an official Niwa spokesman.

He said the other call to a One News reporter was followed up by him seeking approval from a staff member to have an interview.

Mr Churchman said Dr Salinger had been disingenuous about handing Mr Robinson a media release from last year which reviewed climate patterns when Niwa was unhappy about him commenting to TV3 on predictions for the following season, for which another scientist was the spokesman.

How unlike the home life of our own dear Queen, or rather, how like mine own life as Spokesman of the New Zealand Association of Rationalists and Humanists (Inc) - they appointed you their Spokesman, but now they don't want you doing any spoking. Of course, there the similarities end: NIWA is (or was until this juncture) a highly respected organisation, while the NZARH has always been a bit peculiar; if proof of such were needed, it is shown in the HTML: by their frames shall ye know them.