Is Casey Costello Corrupt?

Written By: - Date published: 3:15 pm, August 26th, 2024 - 27 comments
Categories: corruption, health, national/act government, nz first, taxpayers union, Tobacco - Tags: , , , ,

Today, the Casey Costello tobacco saga continues. Despite trying to close the chapter on her pro-tobacco record, saying “we’ve traversed this issue many times already” and refusing to answer questions fulsomely in Parliament, Costello is not having that much luck closing it all down.

Today, RNZ’s Guyon Espiner reports that Casey Costello has finally fronted up with the pro-tobacco document she previously said didn’t exist.

That document was sent by her to NZ Health Officials in her capacity as Associate Health Minister. Yes, Health.

She pleaded for tobacco friendly actions – including freezing excise for the industry – and said that tobacco really wasn’t very harmful at all.

In December 2023, Associate Health Minister Casey Costello gave health officials the document which claimed “nicotine is as harmful as caffeine” and argued Labour’s smokefree generation policy was “nanny state nonsense”.

For anyone who isn’t aware yet – those words are the same words the tobacco industry provides its lobbyists.

And she’s not the only one who uses it

The National, NZ First and ACT parties all appear united in their support and repetition of tobacco industry positions (seen in video contending nicotine may not be that harmful).

And while the Ministers consistently argue for austerity in our disabled, health, social service and educations sectors, they appear ready to give $216 million of taxpayers money at the drop of a hat to tobacco esp. Philip Morris.

Yet Costello claims she didn’t write the document and maintains she has no idea how it even entered her office.

Now something is very wrong when Government Ministers act “contrary to the law” – when it comes to tobacco & development interests.

What could be driving it?

Could it be groups supported by tobacco and fossil fuel money, which this government appears closely aligned to?

Well, Nicola Willis, Chris Bishop, David Seymour, Casey Costello all came directly from Atlas Network aligned groups i.e tobacco funded groups. And Paul Goldsmith is a friend of Alan Gibbs and Don Brash (Debbi Gibbs works as Atlas’s Global Chair).

The question to all this is – is there corruption at play? And if not, why so many games?

This is something the government will needs to answer for – else questions around if Casey Costello is corrupt or not, will remain in circulation.

Related articles on Casey Costello:

27 comments on “Is Casey Costello Corrupt? ”

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  1. Rodel 1
    26 August 2024 at 4:45 pm

    CoC = Coalition of Corruption The Atlas network links are so blatantly obvioius.. Do they really think we are that stupidI ? I can understand journalists not wanting to upset the Costellos of this world for fear of losing their political contacts and sources of news but honestly do Seymour and Bishop really think they are that superior to us?

  2. Christopher Randal 2
    26 August 2024 at 4:48 pm

    On the balance of probabilities – yes. But who in the coalition of chaos isn't?

  3. Macro 3
    26 August 2024 at 5:14 pm

    Never in my life have we endured such a despicable government as this shower of miscreants. They are way beyond the pail. Every thing they have done in the short time they have held the seat of Govt they have done to the detriment of the populace and for the benefit of the few. The country is going to be a basket case when they have finished.

    Andrew London sings it all for me from the opposite point of view 🙂

    https://youtu.be/auA8jy8km8o?t=1617

  4. Mike the Lefty 4
    26 August 2024 at 6:08 pm

    Like Steven Joyce used to say: "business as usual".

    More like normal business has resumed.

  5. Kat 5
    26 August 2024 at 6:40 pm

    No she is just hopeless, somewhat thick, and doing what she is told. Sad reality but then most of the women on that side of the aisle just follow instructions from the chaps in blue suits, some of them even take to wearing blue suits.

    • PsyclingLeft.Always 5.1
      26 August 2024 at 9:02 pm

      Really ? So just a simple, thick, woman. Have you read and understood the Links provided ?

  6. georgecom 6
    26 August 2024 at 6:46 pm

    and argued Labour’s smokefree generation policy was “nanny state nonsense”

    this from a government that wants to tell parents what their kids can and cannot do with cellphones in schools and who tells people how they can spend their money at supermarkets. Luxon, Seynour and Peters running a really nanny state govt

  7. Reality 7
    26 August 2024 at 6:55 pm

    Day by day, week by week, this government is increasingly arrogant, dictatorial, secretive, callous. There is no accountability to the voters as they barge ahead with their alienating and divisive policies. They don't give a damn. As long as their donors are happy that is all they care about.

  8. Dennis Frank 8
    26 August 2024 at 7:19 pm

    Seems to me the corruption issue raised here targets the player rather than the game. Surely everyone knows democracy was created to simulate rule by the people whilst using politicians who serve industry. That pattern has been consistent in all western countries since the 19th century – perhaps only to those who read history and pay attention to political behaviour though.

    The right act as servants of the establishment more obviously than the left, who prefer to wear a thin disguise. The marriage of capitalism and democracy is the only game in town so everyone must play in accord with the rules. Costello hasn't been caught out breaking any rules yet, so far as I can tell. Is blowing hot air around proving to be an effective political tactic for the left? Not yet. The 3-headed dog is two thirds of the way through their first year in office, wondering where the opposition has gone…

    • Muttonbird 8.1
      26 August 2024 at 7:59 pm

      Amongst the self-important, half-baked (centrist) waffle, there’s a reasonable point about the opposition not savaging Costello the way the nut jobs did away with Claire Curran. They are leaving it to journalists to do the and their job.

      But this only highlights the fact that the left are not as rabid, compassionless, entitled, ethically challenged, and bloodthirstily despotic as the National Party and its voters.

      • gsays 8.1.1
        27 August 2024 at 12:16 pm

        "…the left are not as rabid, compassionless, entitled, ethically challenged, and bloodthirstily despotic…"

        Cough Darleen Tana, cough.

        • thinker 8.1.1.1
          28 August 2024 at 7:20 am

          Good point, but its corollary is that someone like Tana is outed as not meeting the appropriate professional standards or team culture, in a workplace sense.

          These Ministers and Associate Ministers are building the culture of what's acceptable, encouraged even.

          That's the difference.

    • tWig 8.2
      27 August 2024 at 12:52 pm

      Except, Dennis, the left lobbyists lobby for unions who advocate workers’ rights, for marginalised people, for the environment we all share and for the rights and protections of NZ citizens, and who are happy to undergo democratic scrutiny to ensure that legislation.

      Whereas right wing lobbyists lobby for overseas firms that want to addict us to their products or want to monopolise infrastructure, for a small number of people who like guns (despite Aramoana, and the Mosque shooter) and for farmers who don't want to carry the cost of their environmental pollution. None of the second group contribute to a healthier and economically robust NZ. Many of that group want the legislation passed without close scrutiny, after paying large bucks to individuals who are then elected.

  9. PsyclingLeft.Always 9
    26 August 2024 at 9:04 pm

    IMO yes corrupt. Ex police detective….notwithstanding.

  10. PsyclingLeft.Always 10
    26 August 2024 at 9:24 pm

    Hi Mountain Tui. Thanks again for your efforts. I have been reading through a link page, which I think you provided earlier ( If not, hope you can utilise some of ?)

    https://theaimn.com/new-zealand-is-under-siege-by-the-atlas-network/

    Anyway, seeing your Paul Goldsmith is a friend of Alan Gibbs link I seen this on aforementioned…talk about timely.

    "And there it was: the greatest coup of my business career, the chance to make serious money," crows Alan Gibbs as he pulls off the sale of the century, taking state-owned enterprise Telecom off the government's hands in 1990.

    It's all gleefully recounted in Serious Fun: The Life and Times of Alan Gibbs, in which author Paul Goldsmith casts Gibbs as the deal broker extraordinaire.

    https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/telecom-jackpot-how-privatisation-made-fortunes/UZDCEVRGWCB3S7XOFTFUNS3VK4/

    The whole of NACT1/Atlas Network/TPU reeks of corruption

    • Mountain Tui 10.1
      26 August 2024 at 9:59 pm

      Thank you PsyclingLeft.Always !

      I wrote about Paul Goldsmith's writing of Alan Gibb's life, but hadn't seen the quotes. And as usual what you've shared is immensely useful.

      Thank you as ever.

      Tui

  11. Tiger Mountain 11
    27 August 2024 at 8:37 am

    Another bent ex copper, whom are so beloved by the right as candidates. But…as other commenters have said, Atlas Network looms large. The old photos of Mr Seymour at their seminars speak to us now. He appears a smirking twat from Epsom but a lot of resources and ideological effort have been expended on him by the backers.

    They want results…hence school lunches are downgraded to sandwiches while the Tobacco industry get hundreds of millions in tax cuts. Semi Auto firearms are going to be more available etc.

    • PsyclingLeft.Always 11.1
      27 August 2024 at 8:58 am

      The NZ Godfather, spew : (…. Alan Gibbs. An old article..from ..The Herald, but History aye?

      The man regarded as the "godfather" of the Act Party, multimillionaire businessman Alan Gibbs, flew in yesterday to urge the party to think more radically.

      But they were mild in comparison to Gibbs' thinking.

      "I'd privatise all the schools, all the hospitals and all the roads," he told the conference. "We've had a 20-year siesta so I think Act should get out there and shake the market."

      https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/go-radical-act-party-told/TNM62JJCX2NPZL4ENSFBAB2ZUI/

      And now.. years later again, they have their chance..and are going for it . Why I, and others fought hard to stop the scumbags . All are equally corrupt in NACT1

      All we can do now is fight back..and hope there is something left of NZ.

  12. Vivie 12
    27 August 2024 at 9:01 am

    It's concerning that Casey Costello worked as a police officer, given her behaviour as an MP. Her initial denials of the existence of the document at issue, then releasing it with redacted comments and cynically claiming to not know who wrote it, shows her up as deceitful and arrogant. It will be interesting to see if the media challenge her or the party leaders to explain why she should remain an MP.

  13. Anne 13
    27 August 2024 at 9:53 am

    It's concerning that Casey Costello worked as a police officer, given her behaviour as an MP.

    It is concerning indeed. It would seem the bar set for promotion to detective is too low and needs to be urgently reviewed. It won't happen because these miscreants, who are easily bought by society's political scumbags, would seem to be in hot demand.

    I am reminded of the Christine Rankin era in the late 1990s where cops were encouraged to perf and join the newly formed Beneficiary Bashing Squad under the guidance of Paula Bennett. They had a brief ball where they bullied and harassed beneficiaries on specious grounds. Fortunately Helen Clark came along and saw them all – including Rankin – off the premises in very quick time.

  14. Anne 14
    27 August 2024 at 11:02 am

    Sorry. 13 was a reply to Vivie.

    • Vivie 14.1
      27 August 2024 at 4:55 pm

      Anne – I recall that in the 1990s Income Support staff were required to wear uniforms, which included women wearing knee-length skirts. This seemed dictatorial and with regard to Christine Rankin, completely hypercritical. She was known, amongst other things, for her high hemlines and low necklines, yet women staff were reprimanded for not dressing in a formal, corporate manner. She seemed narcissistic and vain, and was probably fearful that other women would present as more impressive. A classic case of "Do as I say, not as I do".

      https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/haunting-echo-in-dress-row/WMW2CDKKE4WUTGJDM5ISJ5OO7I/

      ''By CHRIS DANIELS

      Christine Rankin once gave evidence against an Auckland social welfare worker sacked for not wearing official corporate dress.

      The worker, who wants to be identified only as "Maria," fought an ultimately unsuccessful three-year battle to get her job back at Income Support Service after she was sacked for not wearing the approved corporate uniform.

      Christine Rankin, then a senior manager in Income Support, was called to give evidence about how the official departmental wardrobe standard was applied…..".

      • Anne 14.1.1
        28 August 2024 at 9:59 am

        Yes. It was all about image in those days. The beneficiaries were just the fall guys and gals who were being used to bolster their narcissistic "look at us aren't we powerful" delusions.

  15. newsense 15
    27 August 2024 at 9:37 pm

    In a reasonable year this insane story about an apparating document in Casey Costello’s office would launch mockery and satire and see the downfall of the government.

    On the other hand this is the worst government in 30 years and they don’t give a crap about us.