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Cathy Costello said she has no idea who wrote it or even how she got hold of the politically charged document on tobacco policy, which she sent to health officials with instructions.
photo: Royal Bank of New Zealand
A New Zealand First minister sent health officials a politically charged document advocating for tobacco tax cuts – although she said she didn’t know who wrote it or why it ended up in her office.
In December 2023, Associate Health Secretary Casey Costello presented a document to health officials claiming that “nicotine is as harmful as caffeine” and that Labor’s Smoke-Free Generation policy was “nanny state nonsense”.
Costello, who earlier this year denied the existence of the document, has now released it with parts redacted, though she said she did not know who wrote it.
Costello has always said she has no ties to the tobacco industry.
Labor’s health spokeswoman Ayesha Verrall said Costello’s actions gave the opposite impression.
“Of course a bit of transparency would help a minister. But instead she hid documents, claimed not to know where they came from, (and) misrepresented the facts in parliament. This is not the behaviour of a minister who has nothing to hide.”
This document did not exist until it was
In December 2023, RNZ asked new minister Costello to release all documents relating to tobacco and vaping policy under the Official Information Act. But she refused to hand over any information.
A leaked tobacco policy document sent by RNZ’s office to health officials was highly political in tone and content, describing the former Labour government’s anti-smoking policy as “ideological nonsense that no country would be stupid enough to implement” and calling New Zealanders “guinea pigs for their radical policy experiments”.
Asked by Verrall in a written parliamentary inquiry in February who wrote the document, Costello responded: “There is no specific written document. The government provided officials with a range of information including parliamentary record reports, coalition agreements and New Zealand First’s previous policy positions.”
RNZ asked the Chief Ombudsman to investigate and ruled Costello’s actions ‘violated the law’ Withholding information and pressuring her to apologize and release documents.
Costello now acknowledges the document’s existence but says she doesn’t know who wrote it, only that the author doesn’t work in her office.
“The document you refer to was not generated or collated by any member of my office and was not received in paper form until December 6,” she wrote in response to RNZ’s OIA request.
She said she still doesn’t know who wrote the document or even who gave it to her.
RNZ also asked Costello whether she could rule out the tobacco industry being involved in the mysterious document if she didn’t know its author, and why she handed it to officials without knowing its origin.
She did not answer specific questions but said she had no ties to the tobacco industry and was not involved in it.
Villar said given the importance of the document, it was impossible for Costello not to be aware of its origin.
“I don’t think you can credibly say you don’t know where it came from,” she said.
“This lady’s past career was as a detective. I don’t understand how the New Zealand public could believe such a flimsy claim.”
photo: Royal Bank of New Zealand
What Costello is hiding from the public in mysterious documents
Although parts of the document released by Costello were redacted, RNZ has the original, unabridged version so it can compare the various versions.
Redactions made by Costello in the documents released under the OIA include removing all material pushing for cuts in tobacco taxes, as well as claims that nicotine is no more harmful than caffeine and that the previous government’s policies were “nanny state bullshit.”
It strongly advocated for tax cuts on heated tobacco products – although this was also removed.
“Smokeless tobacco is a vaping product that does not burn and should not be taxed like combustible cigarettes, but rather should be taxed like other vaping products that are not subject to excise taxes,” the original document said.
“Quitting smoking also means giving up paying huge excise taxes. Excise taxes are a tool to discourage smoking and we want to encourage smokers to use these products and one of the best ways to do that is to make them cheaper than cigarettes.”
Costello recently Cut HTP excise tax by 50% and leave out Emergency Fund: $216 million to compensate for tobacco tax cuts.
She did so even though health officials say there is no strong evidence that e-cigarettes can be used as a smoking cessation tool or are significantly safer than cigarettes.
Ministers must give specific reasons for withholding information. Costello said the redactions were made under a clause in the Home Affairs Act that protects the “confidentiality of advice given by cabinet ministers and officials”.
Costello’s office did not respond to Radio New Zealand’s questions about how she could use the clause if she did not know who wrote the document.
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