Cabinet Minister Casey Costello's behaviour in the Smoking portfolio is highly questionable, and her links to tobacco lobbying require further explanation.
I can't help but remember the journalists who chased down Golriz Ghahraman - including parking outside her home for days. Yet it's been one day and this Costello story is already largely off the front page.
On NZME's NZ Herald, I had to search far and wide without being able to spot the Casey Costello tobacco article yesterday. I finally found it today through a specific Google site search - no way I could have found it from navigating their website myself.
Ironically I would find chasing down the media shy Casey Costello and asking her some basic questions e.g. who wrote your Ministerial document, why did you submit it, will you co-operate with officials and share your financial records etc. more than appropriate.
Yet why aren't we seeing that happen? I don't really know but believe it's in the public interest to do so.
I agree with you Tui. The treatment of the coalition and the Labour Party by the media is becoming increasingly unbalanced. The comment is often heard that Chippy is missing in action but I do believe he is given little time by our media.
At one point I complained about the opposition but after having seen their press releases and watched many of them during Parliamentary sessions, I'm also of the view that the media is just not giving them the same air time, attention, headlines and importance.
This is one still being monitored but essentially agree!
Don't forget that the chair of the NZME board is deputy chair of the NZ Institute. The organisation which is creating fake pressure groups which stupid journalists use as part of stories, instead of checking who these groups are.
Honestly baffled that anyone would give Taxpayers Union and their ilk the time of day, but of course, nah it's all a nice interconnected circle. Even Newsroom was quoting Jordan Williams the other day. Seriously what is happening?
Great stuff. Thank you Bryce. It is quite incredible that Costello maintains she doesn't know who authored a paper she included in ministerial papers justifying her plans to significantly water down the smoke free regulations. And hearing her in question time yesterday claiming that NZ will be smoke free this year - what does that even mean? Guyon Espiner is one of the best investigative journalists we have in NZ right now. It was good to see his work headlining on RNZ website yesterday.
It seems that the modus operandi of most of the ministers in the CoC is to make a statement which has no basis in reality (eg. Costello stating that NZ will achieve its Smoke Free 2025 goal by the end of the year) and no evidence to support it - the statement just happens to suit their narrative - and no-one is checking them. Or if they are its too late because once a statement gets airtime its almost impossible to retract - the original statement has more credence than any followup retraction or clarification!!
When I saw her state it a number of weeks ago in Parliament, she said it with great confidence. The CoC knows headlines win - I suspect they will be coming out with an announcement before year's end, and by the time fact checkers or advocates speak to the context, the daily news cycle will have passed - and the IMPRESSION they want out there will have stuck.
That said, there's a Lincoln saying, David.
“You can fool some of the people all of the time, and all of the people some of the time, but you can not fool all of the people all of the time.”
And something tells me their marketing and hoodwinks will ultimately catch up with them.
Yes. And when they are caught being dishonest, through lies or corrupt behaviour, or both, nothing is done about it, even by the police Eg MP David McLeod’s $178,000 ‘oversight’, & Shane Jones (mining), Nicole McKee (guns) & Casey Costello (tobacco), & Simeon Brown (speed).
They all seem to be pushing Death.
Also, every ‘independent’ appointment, or group has strong Atlas Network ties, through NZ Initiative, Taxpayers Union, Hobson’s Pledge etc
I'd say she was corrupt and not very bright. But she'll stick around because the govt is in thrall to its donors and fundraisers (the Taxpayers' Union raised megabucks for election advertising). Back to the days of Dirty Politics.
There's also the fact that she is from NZ First and Luxon seems too weak to do the right thing given she's not from his party - he seems to scared to rock the CoC boat!!
Very happy to subscribe, to help have this type of content published.
It's sad we used to get this from " mainstream" media in New Zealand and don't now. Mainstream is little more than propaganda outlets for moneyed interests...to placate the masses.. bread and circuses...
"Costello still maintains that she has no relationship with the tobacco industry, but it doesn’t help her case that she refuses to do interviews on the topic."
That statement is incorrect. She has given an interview.... to me.
Brilliant piece, which unfortunately won’t get the traction it deserves to challenge the corrupting nature of lobbyists on some of our MP’s actions and behaviours.
I can't help but remember the journalists who chased down Golriz Ghahraman - including parking outside her home for days. Yet it's been one day and this Costello story is already largely off the front page.
On NZME's NZ Herald, I had to search far and wide without being able to spot the Casey Costello tobacco article yesterday. I finally found it today through a specific Google site search - no way I could have found it from navigating their website myself.
Ironically I would find chasing down the media shy Casey Costello and asking her some basic questions e.g. who wrote your Ministerial document, why did you submit it, will you co-operate with officials and share your financial records etc. more than appropriate.
Yet why aren't we seeing that happen? I don't really know but believe it's in the public interest to do so.
I agree with you Tui. The treatment of the coalition and the Labour Party by the media is becoming increasingly unbalanced. The comment is often heard that Chippy is missing in action but I do believe he is given little time by our media.
At one point I complained about the opposition but after having seen their press releases and watched many of them during Parliamentary sessions, I'm also of the view that the media is just not giving them the same air time, attention, headlines and importance.
This is one still being monitored but essentially agree!
And Greens & Te Pāti Māori, even less
Don't forget that the chair of the NZME board is deputy chair of the NZ Institute. The organisation which is creating fake pressure groups which stupid journalists use as part of stories, instead of checking who these groups are.
Yes.
Honestly baffled that anyone would give Taxpayers Union and their ilk the time of day, but of course, nah it's all a nice interconnected circle. Even Newsroom was quoting Jordan Williams the other day. Seriously what is happening?
Minister Costello is simply awful and should go.
Great stuff. Thank you Bryce. It is quite incredible that Costello maintains she doesn't know who authored a paper she included in ministerial papers justifying her plans to significantly water down the smoke free regulations. And hearing her in question time yesterday claiming that NZ will be smoke free this year - what does that even mean? Guyon Espiner is one of the best investigative journalists we have in NZ right now. It was good to see his work headlining on RNZ website yesterday.
Yes she signaled that in Parliament a few weeks ago too. Who can trust their statistics?
It seems that the modus operandi of most of the ministers in the CoC is to make a statement which has no basis in reality (eg. Costello stating that NZ will achieve its Smoke Free 2025 goal by the end of the year) and no evidence to support it - the statement just happens to suit their narrative - and no-one is checking them. Or if they are its too late because once a statement gets airtime its almost impossible to retract - the original statement has more credence than any followup retraction or clarification!!
When I saw her state it a number of weeks ago in Parliament, she said it with great confidence. The CoC knows headlines win - I suspect they will be coming out with an announcement before year's end, and by the time fact checkers or advocates speak to the context, the daily news cycle will have passed - and the IMPRESSION they want out there will have stuck.
That said, there's a Lincoln saying, David.
“You can fool some of the people all of the time, and all of the people some of the time, but you can not fool all of the people all of the time.”
And something tells me their marketing and hoodwinks will ultimately catch up with them.
Oh, I hope so.
Yes. And when they are caught being dishonest, through lies or corrupt behaviour, or both, nothing is done about it, even by the police Eg MP David McLeod’s $178,000 ‘oversight’, & Shane Jones (mining), Nicole McKee (guns) & Casey Costello (tobacco), & Simeon Brown (speed).
They all seem to be pushing Death.
Also, every ‘independent’ appointment, or group has strong Atlas Network ties, through NZ Initiative, Taxpayers Union, Hobson’s Pledge etc
Eg. all 3 Human Rights Commission appointments
Eg. The ‘independent’ group re Covid response
Eg. Top people in Key places:
Health Lester Levy
There are many more. It’s very worrying
I'd say she was corrupt and not very bright. But she'll stick around because the govt is in thrall to its donors and fundraisers (the Taxpayers' Union raised megabucks for election advertising). Back to the days of Dirty Politics.
There's also the fact that she is from NZ First and Luxon seems too weak to do the right thing given she's not from his party - he seems to scared to rock the CoC boat!!
So she lied or misled parliament without a squeak yet remember the uproar when Jan Tinetti made a mistake about a date
Abominable behaviour. She needs to go.
Damn, you go, dude!
What you write here need said, and onthe record
.
Very happy to subscribe, to help have this type of content published.
It's sad we used to get this from " mainstream" media in New Zealand and don't now. Mainstream is little more than propaganda outlets for moneyed interests...to placate the masses.. bread and circuses...
True - and it's ironic that your Substack name is so similar to Philip Morris' main brand
It's technically true that nicotine is no more harmful than caffeine - it's the other things in tobacco that are hazardous
And keep an eye on the upcoming gun reforms.
"Costello still maintains that she has no relationship with the tobacco industry, but it doesn’t help her case that she refuses to do interviews on the topic."
That statement is incorrect. She has given an interview.... to me.
https://realitycheck.radio/replay/casey-costello-associate-minister-of-health-on-what-she-learned-from-visiting-quit-smoking-groups/
Perhaps the fabled tobacco fairies are at work?
Brilliant piece, which unfortunately won’t get the traction it deserves to challenge the corrupting nature of lobbyists on some of our MP’s actions and behaviours.
Sounds very suspicious Casey.
Bryce, Casey has been in Parliament only since 2023, not 2020, as you state.