'Corruption First' Strikes Again

The ongoing rot and corruption is in plain sight from the New Zealand Coalition Government. The Casey Costello & tobacco industry love affair continues unabated and aided by her colleagues.

There comes a point in all our lives when we must stop to say, “Enough is enough. We know what’s happening. We are not as stupid or as ignorant as you believe us to be. And making policies that kill or harm our people is not acceptable, Ministers.”

Plausible deniability has long been used by actors to deny the obvious.

“No, I was not having an affair. I was merely passing by late at night to give advice on pecuniary matters. Did you see us touching? How dare you suggest otherwise?”

The National, New Zealand First and ACT Government’s clear and persistent ties, and work, for the tobacco industry (and let’s be honest, anyone with deep enough pockets to entertain them - developers, miners, fossil fuel, and fisheries) has far exceeded the realms of reasonableness. It did a while ago. But they are not even trying to hide it, are they?

Six months ago, when I connected the clear and present dots between our government and Atlas Network - who are simply a front for a group of very rich people with interests in tobacco, fossil fuels, anti-climate and pro-right wing policies - I knew we were in for some trouble.

But never did I imagine they would be so carelessly corrupt about it all.

This is very obviously taking a leaf from the Tory and Republican playbooks - naturally, perhaps, as ‘think tanks’ are merely fronts for co-ordinated networks who share policies and strategies for each other to replicate.

Act as you will, but deny, obfuscate, and attack if need be. We have enough supporters to get away with this, so long as we can control the narrative, cultivate sufficient doubt, and lay out an excuse to do so.

And it’s true. Brexit, Trump, Tory success in the UK - showed this assessment was accurate.

This Government in NZ, I believe, is continued proof that they know they can do what they want - and get away with it.

Chris Bishop reveals it in this interview. Approximately:

Q: 'What happens if you make a decision that causes unexpected and huge environmental destruction in our country?’ e.g. TTR who was invited by Chris Bishop for Fast-Track and wants to extract ~50 million tonnes of the seabed each year for 35 years. They would then discharge 45 million tonnes of sediment. Rejected by all our courts for over 10 years!

Approximate answer: ‘Oh well, if you don’t like it, just throw us out in three years. We are doing it anyway.’

Today, RNZ continued their badge of journalism by pointing out that Casey Costello had quietly cut excise taxes on certain tobacco products by 50%.

Costello refused to be interviewed by RNZ, of course (the last time she got caught, she dodged all media and only fronted to Newstalk ZB for a soft ball chat), but was caught in a press conference in her other role as Associate Police Minister.

This is the first time any New Zealand Government has ever lowered excise for tobacco

Costello explained it as an attempt to help desperately addicted tobacco victims. Except, do we even need to go here to point out the inconsistencies. It’s tiring, NACT1.

She had already been told by her own Ministry -

"There is no evidence to support their use as a quit smoking tool. We do not recommend liberalising the way HTPs are promoted. This would likely compound existing concerns about youth uptake and addiction to nicotine products."

Costello - and this Government - once again insults our intelligence, but more than that, disrespects any notion we are in a genuinely democratic system of government, and not one that’s simply been taken over by neo-liberal corporate interests.

RNZ reports:

“Philip Morris has lobbied for a cut to the excise tax on HTPs, telling the Tax Working Group in 2018 that the government should "establish a tax rate for heated tobacco products significantly below the tax rate" for tobacco.”

Casey is doing their bidding. Could it get any clearer for anyone?

I had already covered her recently on a related post -

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There has to be consequences to this type of unmitigated, in-sight, shameless corruption in our Government and country.

Let’s be clear though, this is not the work of some rogue Minister of Government.

When Casey Costello first got caught out, begging for clemency and reduced taxes for the tobacco industry in her Ministerial papers in February, and then lying about it to our national broadcaster, Prime Minister Luxon came out in her defence.

Paul Goldsmith came to her aid. David Seymour said the press was being precious and told right wing radio there was no “undue influence.” Chris Bishop, the lobbyist from Phillip Morris, likewise ignored it but said he thought caffeine was harmful like nicotine.

When Labour called for her resignation and asked her who wrote her Ministerial papers (spoiler: Casey says she still doesn’t know), Gerry Brownlee blocked Hipkins from pursuing the inquiry in Parliament!

Of course. As my other post outlined, they are all in on repeating tobacco lobbyist lines.

Is it any surprise?

We even have a Christian faith, Health Minister trying to dance around it and Cabinet Ministers looking appropriately prepared for the questions -

This time will be no different.

But it should.

It’s clear by now that this Government relies on their segments of popularity, and they only keep that through keeping the majority ignorant of the details.

The constant stream of reductivist actions, negative policies, anti-climate moves, and pro-donor/corporate dances, are only made possible through a media network that shields the obvious.

When Golriz stole a few dressses, she was hounded for a week. Stuff parked in front of her house to stake her out.

When ram raids were coming down last year, the media hyperventilated about it for a whole week, ignoring the trendline of ram raid decreases, that clearly peaked in 2022 and stabilised to its lows by September 2023.

Yet when this deeply entrenched, corrosive, corrupt-to-the-core business occurs, this Government knows - all they need to do is ride it out. All they have to do is throw out lines attacking Labour, based on their very successful attack strategy, painting Labour as backward, incompetent, wasteful, and racist. All they have to do is rely on a weakened media, and strong corporate media/think tank voices that back them to sow division - enough to keep them strong.

Make no mistake - when public perception and opinion is against the Coalition, they do move (think Premier house, cancer drugs, their reaction to the first 1News poll this year showing they’d be out of Government.) They are not as resilient, courageous, or principled as they pretend to be. i.e. They are principled for their donors, but they are very afraid of electoral awareness.

Casey’s Ministerial Notes

Casey Costello's Ministerial notes showing how to attack Labour and support tobacco/vaping

This is a group effort and decision by ACT, New Zealand First and National - a true Coalition of common interests.

Michelle Obama once said, “When they go low, we go high.”

And that was a fine thing to say, but sometimes, it’s appropriate to point, laugh, and demand action. Kiwis need to wake each other up to this truth.

PS If anyone is under the impression that Costello is cracking down on vaping in good faith, please read her Ministerial papers. She also appears to have a track record of protecting Philip Morris's vaping products in particular i.e Chris Bishop’s past employer.