Act MP's jibe draws gales of fury

By FRANCESCA MOLD political reporter

The forecast looks stormy for the relationship between Act MP Gerry Eckhoff and the crown agency that predicts our weather.

A nasty spat has developed between Mr Eckhoff and the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (Niwa).

The MP accused the organisation of contributing to high electricity prices with "grossly inaccurate" forecasts.

His claim prompted angry Niwa climate experts to seek legal advice about whether they could sue him.

Lawyers advised Niwa that it was difficult for companies to take cases against individuals. So instead the company issued a statement describing Mr Eckhoff's claims as "foolish and wildly inaccurate".

Mr Eckhoff, who last hit the headlines with his suggestion that kiwis could be bred for export to overseas meat markets, claimed that climate experts had told New Zealanders they could look forward to a mild winter. But the cold and dry winter had caught out electricity retailers, who relied on forecasts when deciding how much to hedge their prices.

He said the cost of sending wrong signals to the marketplace was huge.

"The 'experts' must accept a large measure of blame for the electricity industry crisis, and can look forward to much less confidence from New Zealanders," said Mr Eckhoff.

But Niwa's chief executive, Paul Hargreaves, said the agency's public forecasts for river flows during winter were on track.

He said Niwa had predicted that winter temperatures were likely to be above average but with cold periods.

Act leader Richard Prebble sent a letter to Prime Minister Helen Clark yesterday expressing concern that state agencies were becoming increasingly keen on suing MPs.

He cited a Wool Board case against fellow Act MP Owen Jennings, his own experience with New Zealand Post, and Christine Rankin's threat to sue Green MP Sue Bradford for defamation.