Inside the Beehive: 10 minutes with Casey Costello

Sunday, 21 July 2024

The Post_ is putting politics to the side (somewhat, and only momentarily), to ask the people in power how they got there, who they are and what makes them tick._

Indoor plants line the large windowsill of Casey Costello’s office, and mementos from parliamentary trips are displayed proudly.

Costello is quietly spoken, and said by those closer to her to be humble, tough and clearly bright.

Costello was propelled to third on NZ First’s list before the election, then catapulted into Cabinet as minister for customs and seniors, and associate minister health, immigration and police, beside her leader Winston Peters and fellow MP Shane Jones.

A quick ascent for a new MP.

“I sort of … fell into different things,” she says.

Her background includes the Police Association, Hobson’s Pledge, the Taxpayers’ Union and the Migrant Exploitation Relief Foundation, running Parliament’s security in the early 2000s, and brief involvement with ACT and the New Conservatives.

Costello’s father was a journalist - the first in the industry to be inducted to the horse-racing hall of fame. Her first job out of school working at her father’s local newspaper in Papakura, The Counties Sport and News, sparked her involvement in local issues and her interest in policing - joining the force in the 80s for 14 years.

“I never thought I'd get in, never told anyone I was even applying because I thought there's no way I'm going to get in,” she tells The Post.

“I was 20, much littler than I am now, I wasn't sporty or athletic or anything.

“I had to learn how to do press-ups. I still remember the day, the first of October, I got the call to say you’ve been accepted. About a day later I got a call to say you’re down at college [in Porirua] in three weeks, and that was my first ever time on an aeroplane .”

She smiles as she recalls her time with the police: “It’s an incredible job, you see people at the very best and very worst, and you get to learn a lot about people and you see some pretty tough stuff”.

“Most of us join the police for the same reason - we want to catch bad guys and make a difference. You get really close camaraderie and really good mates and I’ve still got really good mates now from then even though I've been out for 20-plus years.”

The police also gave Costello her first taste of lobbying - through being involved in the Police Association.

“I was a delegate and a vice president … and worked with (now Labour MP) Greg O'Connor when he was president,” she says.

On her political aspirations, Costello says she spent “so many years lobbying and trying to affect change, I thought, well if there’s an opportunity, the decisions are really made here”, referring to Parliament.

But NZ First was not Costello’s first political rodeo; she stood for ACT as a candidate in 2011.

“It was more my brother said that we need more names on the list, so I was like, ‘OK, whatever you want me to do’, because he’s my big brother.

“I think I got about 100 votes, which I thought was a bit odd, I didn’t campaign or anything.

“And New Conservative, I just knew a few people and I was trying to help … from marketing and a support admin sort of function.”

Asked how the range of political parties, all with different policies and stances, aligned with her values, Costello says “at my core … my foundational one was really about everyone being treated equally before the law”.

“I believe that there's real importance in different ideas and real strong debates and challenging ideas and that's why I think MMP is a good process.”

Across the different parties, Costello does not think her values have differed.

“I think NZ First, where I found my home, was that there was a very strong and long consistent view of advocating for the very best outcomes for all of us.”

The connection with NZ First properly started when Costello was with Hobson’s Pledge.

“I was engaging with a lot of public political leaders and Winston Peters was one of those parties that I connected with.

“I saw a need for different voices and minority voices to be heard and have really good robust debate.”

But it was also not her first connection with the NZ First leader, with their families having been acquainted for some time.

“We’re Ngātiwai, we’re up north. My mum’s family and Peters’ family went to school together.”

Other political connections include Costello’s relation to former Labour minister Kelvin Davis and former Māori Party and Mana Party’s Hone Harawira.

“My mum’s a Davis … and Titewhai Harawira was my grandfather’s first cousin.

“We moved to Auckland, and we didn't have that-close ties. My aunties talk about Kelvin because he was a real cute little kid… Just a real lovely guy.

“Probably the most time I spent with Hone was when he was an MP and I was running security here.”

Touted as a person who may have a future in a leadership position within NZ First, Costello responds with a laugh and - “ugh”.

Asked to expand on that, Costello says: “NZ First has one of the best leaders that you can have”.

“It's about keeping the team alive and keeping your unit strong and working together.”

On her leadership style, Costello pauses, briefly stumbles on her words and says, “I suppose my leadership really came from policing where people … don't follow anybody they don't believe in”.

“People have to trust you and you have to be prepared to put your money where your mouth is. I don't think I ask anybody to do anything that I wouldn't be prepared to do myself.

“I just like people, I like talking to people. I like learning about people, I like knowing who people are and I hope that sort of reflects in the fact that people like working with me.”