Labour's health spokesperson is calling for Associate Health Minister Casey Costello to be relieved of her duties — saying the minister has yet "to come clean" on her motives for easing tax on tobacco products.
The Government, and specifically New Zealand First Minister Casey Costello, has come under increased scrutiny over the legislation and whether Costello sought advice on a three-year freeze on the inflation-adjusted excise tax on smoked tobacco products.
In an interview with RNZ, Costello denied specifically seeking out advice from her ministry on freezing the excise. This conflicted with a Health Ministry document obtained by RNZ that Costello sent to officials late last year.
Costello defended herself during Question Time yesterday, saying she had not written the documents she sent to officials and she had not specifically asked for the advice.
"The documentation is a range of historical policy positions and notes that were held in New Zealand First policy positions. Some of it relates to things that were passed in the legislation when New Zealand First was in government. This is a range of points and positions and it's about five pages long."
Costello also said yesterday she was unsure who wrote the documents.
"The fact is, I was asked a question about whether I had sought specific advice. I had not sought specific advice, which was the question I answered. I referred to a range of advice I had sought from officials," she said.
Labour's health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall told Breakfast Costello's explanation "defies credibility" and that Ministers "must tell the truth".
"Ministers have to be truthful about their statements and it does seem like a denial that she gave to RNZ, that she'd asked for that advice, is incorrect."
Verrall said Costello also "needs to be able to justify why it is that she is asking for these proposals as a Health Minister that will be so detrimental to New Zealanders' health".
Some points made in the document were that nicotine was "as harmful" as caffeine which Verrall blasted as "absolutely untrue".
"And secondly, raising a concern that the tobacco industry in New Zealand is on it's knees. Why would the Minister of Health concern herself with that? Tobacco is the most harmful product we sell in New Zealand," she fired.
Verrall said everyone would be "forgiving" if Labour saw evidence of Costello taking opportunities to correct the record.
"We all get things wrong from time to time, but there hasn't been a clear acceptance. It appears she hasn't really come clean about the purpose of those proposals," she said.
Verrall said at the heart of the matter was that Costello was going after "a number of tax breaks for the tobacco industry at odds with peoples' health".
"New Zealanders expect their Minister of Health to be promoting their health, not doing favours for the tobacco industry."
Costello, who would not appear on Breakfast this morning, told Newstalk ZB there was "no involvement from big tobacco" and called the claims "nonsense".
Newstalk ZB reports that Costello said she had links to the New Zealand Taxpayers' Union but had no association or involvement with the tobacco industry.
"I have sympathy [for smokers], I’m getting messaging from people who know they should stop smoking, but they're addicted," she said.
Verrall said removing tax from cigarettes would increase demand for tobacco and create a "sales boon for the tobacco industry".
"It currently kills 5000 New Zealanders a year and we're making progress in reducing that, but we would see the long term tail of lung cancers, amputations, kidney failures, strokes, heart attacks for years to come."
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