Casey Costello

Cassandra Jane "Casey" Costello (born 1965 or 1966) is a New Zealand politician, lobbyist and former police officer. She was elected to the New Zealand House of Representatives, representing the New Zealand First party, in the 2023 New Zealand general election. She was appointed Minister of Customs, Minister for Seniors and Associate Minister of Health in the Sixth National Government of New Zealand.

Early life and career

Costello's parents are racing journalist John Costello and New Zealand tennis representative Maryann Davis. She is one of six children. She is of Māori, Scottish and Irish descent. Her father's ancestors were British settlers who arrived in New Zealand in 1860. Her iwi affiliations, through her mother, are Ngātiwai, Ngāti Hau and Ngāpuhi; she is a relative of former politicians Kelvin Davis and Hone Harawira.

Costello's secondary schooling was at Marcellin College, Auckland. After leaving school, Costello worked in an ice cream parlour and also as a reporter with her father at the ''Counties Sport and News'' newspaper. In a 2023 interview, she stated that working as a crime reporter inspired her to join the New Zealand Police, which she did in 1986. Her fourteen-year, Auckland-based policing career included working the 1992 Pukekohe massacre and a period as vice-president of the police union, being the first woman elected to that role.

She later became a security specialist and building services company manager in Auckland. In the 2000s, she was Parliament's manager of security and operations, overseeing a security upgrade.

Lobbyist career

From 2016, Costello co-founded Hobson's Pledge with former ACT New Zealand leader Don Brash. Hobson's Pledge is a right-wing lobby group that refutes the Treaty of Waitangi as a constitutional document of New Zealand and aims to nullify the partnership between the Crown and Māori. Costello was a prominent spokesperson for the lobby group, advocating for the removal of Māori electorates and Māori wards and constituencies, the abolition of the Waitangi Tribunal, the restriction of tribal powers and against legislation that promotes specific governance roles for Māori such as the Local Electoral (Māori Wards and Māori Constituencies) Amendment Act 2021 and the Pae Ora (Healthy Futures) Act 2022. Costello's view is that any policies seeking to redress historical injustices against Māori are "racist and separatist." She campaigned against the creation of the Australian Indigenous Voice to Parliament at the 2023 referendum, writing in '' The Spectator Australia'' that New Zealand's equivalent to the Voice had "divided" New Zealanders.

Costello has also been involved in the New Zealand Taxpayers' Union, a right-wing lobby group, including as board chair. She resigned from the board so that she could stand in the 2023 general election. Costello is also a trustee of the Migrant Exploitation Relief Foundation, pushing for investigation of the exploitation of illegal immigrants.

Political career

Early political career

Costello made an initial attempt at entering politics in 2011. Her brother, Dominic Costello, was the ACT New Zealand candidate in Te Atatū and encouraged her to join the party and stand alongside him in the 2011 general election. She unsuccessfully contested the Māngere electorate and was ranked 34th on the party list.

In 2019, Costello was involved with the New Conservatives Party. At the beginning of 2019, she joined the party's board alongside David Moffett.

2023 general election

Three years later, Costello later shifted her party affiliation and was selected by New Zealand First to contest the electorate at the . She was ranked third on the party list. At the New Zealand First conference where her candidacy was announced, Costello submitted a proposal that it should be party policy to remove the “exclusive authority of the Waitangi Tribunal to determine the meaning and effect” of the Treaty of Waitangi, along with other suggested changes to the Tribunal's authority. The proposal was approved, with the support of senior New Zealand First figures Winston Peters and Shane Jones. Costello also identified the removal of the Māori Health Authority as one of the first things she would like to accomplish if elected.

Costello was elected to parliament as a list MP on 14 October 2023, based on New Zealand First's 6.08% share of the party vote. The electorate vote in Port Waikato was cancelled on 9 October 2023 after ACT candidate Neil Christensen died. Costello was automatically renominated for the Port Waikato by-election held on 25 November 2023. Costello came second place in the by-election, gaining 2,864 votes.

First term, 2023–present

New Zealand First formed a coalition government with the National Party and ACT New Zealand. In late November 2023, Costello was appointed Minister of Customs, Minister for Seniors, and an associate minister in the health, immigration and police portfolios in the coalition government. As Associate Minister of Health, Costello is responsible for the government's policies on tobacco smoking, including the proposed repeal of the Smokefree Environments and Regulated Products (Smoked Tobacco) Amendment Act 2022, which had instituted a sinking lid on tobacco sales, and proposed tax breaks on tobacco products.

On 25 January 2024, Radio New Zealand (RNZ) reported that Costello had proposed a three year freeze on Consumer Price Index (CPI)-related excise increases for smoked tobacco, citing official documents. RNZ also reported that Costello had proposed removing the excise tax from smokeless tobacco products, which would benefit tobacco companies such as Philip Morris, which were producing heated tobacco products. Costello has denied having any links to the tobacco industry. Costello has also proposed harsher penalties for selling vaping products to minors, including a NZ$30,000 fine for selling vapes to minors. Costello has disagreed with a prohibition on tobacco, instead advocating the decriminalisation of oral nicotine products such as snus and chewing tobacco.

Costello's proposed three-year tobacco tax freeze was criticised by Labour's health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall and anti-smoking advocates Health Coalition Aotearoa co-chairperson Boyd Swinburn, Asthma and Respiratory Foundation NZ chief executive Letitia Harding, Health Aotearoa Commission co-chairperson Leitu Tufuga, and Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) director Ben Youden as detrimental to efforts to combat smoking and improve public health. Swinburn called for Prime Minister Christopher Luxon to relieve Costello of her position as associate health minister.

In response to criticism, Health Minister Shane Reti expressed confidence in Costello's role as Associate Health Minister and reaffirmed the Government's commitment to reducing smoking rates and tobacco consumption. Luxon subsequently stated that Costello was only exploring smoking policy health options and has made a mistake during an interview. He also expressed confidence in Costello and confirmed that the Government would not pause increases to the tobacco tax. However, notes that Costello sent to health officials on reforming smoke free laws make it clear that a proposed freeze on excise tax for tobacco came from her office. The notes made the case that the tobacco industry is in real financial trouble, claiming "The tobacco industry in New Zealand is on its knees" and comparing the harm from nicotine to the harm from coffee, claiming "Nicotine is as harmful as caffeine.

References

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Living people
Ngāpuhi people
New Zealand people of Scottish descent
New Zealand people of Irish descent
ACT New Zealand politicians
Unsuccessful candidates in the 2011 New Zealand general election
Candidates in the 2023 New Zealand general election
New Zealand First MPs
21st-century New Zealand politicians
Members of the New Zealand House of Representatives
Women members of the New Zealand House of Representatives
Māori MPs
New Zealand list MPs
New Zealand police officers
Women government ministers of New Zealand
Government ministers of New Zealand
Ngāti Wai people
Ngāti Hau people
Year of birth missing (living people)