Abbott considered investigation into 'exaggerated' Bureau of Meteorology temperature data

Extract from The Guardian

Documents show former PM was briefed on setting up a taskforce into whether the Bureau of Meteorology exaggerated records – as claimed in the Australian

Environment minister Greg Hunt, Tony Abbott and Julie Bishop. Hunt talked Abbott out of investigating the Bureau of Meteorology over claims in the Australian. Photograph: Mike Bowers for the Guardian

Daniel Hurst Political correspondent

@danielhurstbne

Thursday 24 September 2015 09.51 AEST

Tony Abbott considered asking a taskforce to investigate whether the Bureau of Meteorology was exaggerating temperature data records following the publication of such claims in the Australian newspaper, newly released documents show.

But the environment minister, Greg Hunt, pushed for the then prime minister to drop the idea.

The documents, obtained by the ABC under freedom of information laws, show the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (PM&C) prepared a brief for Abbott in September 2014 noting that recent articles published by the Australian had “accused [the bureau] of altering its temperature data records to exaggerate estimates of global warming”.

The brief said the bureau’s climate records were “recognised internationally as among the best in the world” and used “a scientific approach that has been peer-reviewed”.

“Nevertheless, the public need confidence information on Australia’s, and the world’s, climate is reliable and based on the best available science,” the then secretary of PM&C, Ian Watt, wrote.

The issue was raised as part of the establishment of the PM&C-based taskforce that would work on Australia’s post-2020 emission reduction targets to be taken to the UN climate conference in Paris later this year.

Under the original proposal, the taskforce would also be assigned the job of “due diligence to ensure Australia’s climate and emissions data are the best possible, including the Bureau of Meteorology’s Australian temperature dataset and other related data”.

The documents show Abbott then asked the foreign affairs minister, Julie Bishop, the then industry minister, Ian Macfarlane, and the environment minister, Greg Hunt, for input on the draft terms of reference.

In a letter to Abbott in November 2014, Hunt called for the removal of the due diligence clause, pointing out that he and his parliamentary secretary, Simon Birmingham, had already “established a strengthened governance oversight of the bureau’s ongoing work in this area”.

“It is important to emphasise that this is primarily a matter of meteorology, statistics and data assurance,” Hunt wrote.

“This oversight arrangement will involve a panel of qualified persons, including eminent statisticians, to periodically review the bureau’s work.”

Hunt said that meant the taskforce proposal would duplicate work already being done.

“As such, I recommend there be no reference to the Bureau of Meteorology in the terms of reference, nor to the taskforce doing due diligence on Australia’s climate and emissions data.”

PM&C subsequently prepared a new brief for Abbott suggesting he agree to amending the terms of reference for the taskforce so that it would merely provide “coordination and advice” on “quality assured climate and emissions data for Australia”. The brief said Bishop had “agreed to the removal of reference” to the bureau.

The department also drafted a letter from Abbott to Hunt thanking him for working with Birmingham to strengthen oversight of the bureau’s temperature dataset because “the credibility of government agencies is important and must be ensured”.

The draft letter included a request for Birmingham to keep Abbott updated on the outcome of the review.

Last month, Abbott, Hunt and Bishop announced the government would present the Paris conference with a new target of reducing Australia’s greenhouse gas emissions by 26% to 28% below 2005 levels by 2030.

Abbott has previously questioned the reliability of climate science, but when he was prime minister he repeatedly said he accepted the climate was changing and humans made “a contribution”. In other public statements, Abbott said coal was “good for humanity” and wind turbines were “visually awful”.

Turnbull, who was sworn in as prime minister after challenging Abbott for the Liberal leadership last week, was deposed as opposition leader in 2009 over his support for an emissions trading scheme.

Turnbull last week sought to allay concerns from conservatives in his party that he might adopt a more assertive climate policy, saying he supported the 26% to 28% targets and would retain Hunt’s emissions reduction fund. But the new prime minister has left the door open to amending the policies in future, which could include strengthening the safeguards mechanism.