NZ First Minister Casey Costello forced to apologise after acting ‘contrary to law’
Associate Health Minister Casey Costello has been severely reprimanded by the Chief Ombudsman and forced to apologise for trying to keep information about tobacco and vaping policy secret.
Chief Ombudsman Judge Peter Boshier took the rare step of forcing Costello to apologise to RNZ and to Otago University Professor of Public Health Janet Hoek for her handling of Official Information Act (OIA) requests.
In his ruling, Boshier said Costello’s actions in withholding the information were “unreasonable and contrary to law”.
Costello came under intense scrutiny earlier this year after RNZ revealed that her public statements on tobacco and vaping policy were contradicted by official documents she had sent to health officials.
In late December RNZ made an OIA request, asking for all documents sent, held or received by Costello relating to tobacco control and vaping policy.
Costello refused to release any documents at all, citing a clause in the OIA protecting confidential advice tendered by ministers and officials.
RNZ asked the Ombudsman to intervene and the results of his investigation show deep concerns about how Costello handled the information.
“Her scoping of the requests was inadequate and incomplete, as it seemed there would have been a large volume of information within the scope of the requests that she had not accounted for,” Boshier found.
Costello also failed to supply the Ombudsman with information he required for his investigation.
“The Associate Minister omitted to provide the Ombudsman with the un-redacted information,” Boshier said.
“The Associate Minister provided no explanation of her decision making on the requests, including what public interest factors she considered when concluding that the need to withhold the information was not outweighed by the public interest in its release.”
The ruling will inform handling of future OIA requests, as Boshier has insisted it be published as a “case note” under the authority of the Ombudsmen Rules 1989.
The Chief Ombudsman ruled that Costello should make fresh decisions on the OIA requests from RNZ and Hoek “and make written apologies to the requesters for the deficiencies identified”.
RNZ has received a written apology from Costello, who said her actions were “flawed and meant that you did not receive the transparency expected of government around its decision making. I sincerely apologise for this”.
Costello’s apology states that her office was in a “transitional state” at the time of RNZ’s request and “while it does not excuse my decision in this circumstance” her office was now better equipped to manage OIA requests.
We were all surprised that the first thing the new hard right racist Government did was scrap Smoke free in favour of 8000 deaths for tax cuts!
We now catch Hobsons Pledge nutter and former Taxpayer Union stooge Casey Costello lying to Radio NZ when she was caught out trying to help Shane Jones best mates in Big Tobacco by freezing the excise tax!
Luxon is simply too weak a Prime Minister to deal with her!
This new hard right racist climate denying Government want to suck up to Big Tobacco, an industry that is as evil as evil can be!
Smoking kills 67% of users, no product that addictive should be allowed to have that hold over the market!
We want people off ciggies and onto vapes without addicting a new generation of vapers while respecting individuals right to choose after 18.
We need to deal with our vices in ways that are different to other industries because of the social harm making them illegal would cause. That’s why we need a Vice Tax on business activity whose social damage doesn’t get covered by the taxation they pay!
Gambling, Tobacco & Booze, all of them need the heavy jack boot of the State on their throats at all time!
The Vice tax would be special super tax on top of the total profits made on products that are a blight upon society.
Why should the Gambling Booze Tobacco Barons peddle their harmful products with the barest of responsibility?
Rather than constantly making it a tax the consumer pays, hit the booze barons, Tobacco Pimps and Gambling dealers with a ring-fenced super tax on their profits margins.
To allow 8000 to die because National want tax cuts for their rich mates is outrageous.
National and Act governments are like nappies, they need to be changed regularly, for the same reason.
The real issue is Costello is a liar and needs to go. This bullshit government goes on about data which would imply being evidence based. The reality is they hide data because it doesn’t suit their stupid ideas. Or sometimes they try and reinvent data or make their own as we have seen with methane emissions. Then to top it off when the data can’t be hidden, like the projected return to surplus, they just repeat falsehoods endlessly until people assume there is an ounce of truth in what they are saying. They are a train wreck ( or in their case an enormous truck pile up because they will lie about the most effective means of moving large amounts of freight)
The voters seem to be liking the current government more and more and Luxon is climbing in the polls.
While I hate smokers I find it hard to want to stop them but pushing smoking pot what is the difference.
More shit trev this is the worst government ever even Damian Grant says so .We all no what a cock sag he is
Trevor who knows why they are supposedly climbing in the polls, it’s not because of their transparency,it’s not because of their racist policies,it’s not that any of them have any charisma. It could be because of their rich mates in the media who are unashamedly still pushing out the Luxon bandwagon.For goodness sake he handpicked his own public media to go to the US isn’t there something absolutely wrong with that picture. Democracy is dead long live democracy “
Luxon and Costello should sit down for a week and smoke a packet a day and vape 4 hours a day and see how they feel
Remember the days when a parent caught you smoking and your punishment was having to smoke a whole packet almost at once
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