Tim Costley
{{Short description|New Zealand air force officer and politician}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2023}}
{{Use New Zealand English|date=October 2023}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| honorific-prefix =
| name = Tim Costley
| honorific-suffix = {{post-nominals|country=NZL|MP|size=100%}}
| image = COSTLEY, Tim - Otaki (cropped).png
| caption = Costley in 2023
| constituency_MP2 = {{NZ electorate link|Ōtaki}}
| term_start2 = 14 October 2023
| term_end2 =
| parliament2 = New Zealand
| predecessor2 = Terisa Ngobi
| successor2 =
| office3 =
| term_start3 =
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| party = National
| birth_date = {{Birth based on age as of date| 43 | 2023 | 07 | 24 }}
| birth_place =
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| spouse =
| relatives =
| children = 3
| residence =
| alma_mater = {{ubl|Massey University|Cranfield University}}
| website =
| allegiance = New Zealand
| branch = Royal New Zealand Air Force
| serviceyears = 2001–2023
| rank = Wing commander
| unit =
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Timothy John Costley (born {{Birth based on age as of date|43|2023|07|24|noage=yes|slash=yes}}{{cite web |last=Odlum |first=Grace |date=24 July 2023 |title=Air force officer turned candidate running in Ōtaki again |url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/kapiti-news/news/election-2023-tim-costley-vies-for-otaki-electorate-seat-again/CWEGH4MPGZCKVPDZY3BF7EILEM/ |access-date=12 March 2024 |website=NZ Herald}}) is a New Zealand politician. He was elected as the Member of Parliament in the House of Representatives for Ōtaki, representing the National Party, in the 2023 general election. He was previously a pilot with the Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF).
Early life and education
Costley was raised in Palmerston North by his parents, who were both teachers. He has one sister and one brother and was educated at Palmerston North Boys' High School.{{cite news |first=Jono |last=Galuszka |url= https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/300015975/taki-candidates-hit-the-campaign-trail-in-effort-to-fill-empty-seat |title=Ōtaki candidates hit the campaign trail in effort to fill empty seat |work=Stuff |date=19 May 2020 | accessdate=9 October 2020 }}{{cite web |title=Address in Reply Debate |url=https://www.parliament.nz/en/pb/hansard-debates/rhr/document/HansS_20231212_063300000/costley-tim-brownlee-gerry |access-date=12 March 2024 |website=New Zealand Parliament}} He studied at Massey University, graduating with a Bachelor of Science degree in mathematical physics, and at Cranfield University in the United Kingdom where he earned a master's degree in international defence and security.{{cite news |url= https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/andy-foster-tamatha-paul-hana-rawhiti-maipi-clarke-host-of-new-faces-on-track-to-enter-new-zealands-54th-parliament/LC4BSNJOWJBMVMV572RUC56HTI/ |title=Andy Foster, Tamatha Paul, Hana-Rāwhiti Maipi-Clarke: Host of new faces on track to enter New Zealand's 54th Parliament |date=15 October 2023 |work=The New Zealand Herald |access-date=27 October 2023}} He also has a Diploma in Business.{{Cite press release |url= https://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO1911/S00215/tim-costley-nationals-new-candidate-in-otaki.htm |title=Tim Costley National's new candidate in Otaki |publisher=New Zealand National Party |agency=Scoop |date=17 November 2019 |accessdate=9 October 2020}}
Military career
Costley joined the Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) in 2001 as a pilot. He operated Bell UH-1 Iroquois and NHIndustries NH90 helicopters. He saw operational flying service in the Solomon Islands and East Timor. He also completed a tour of duty in Afghanistan and was involved in numerous rescue missions in New Zealand and humanitarian missions in both Fiji and Papua New Guinea. Costley was second-in-command of pilot training and command of the NH90 helicopters for the RNZAF. In 2014, Costley was seconded as an equerry to Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, as an officer of the British royal household assisting members of the royal family. He later achieved the rank of wing commander and finished his career as Commanding Officer of the Flying Training Wing at Ohakea airbase.
In 2007, while Costley was stationed in East Timor, he featured in a tongue-in-cheek video that went viral online and was later used for RNZAF recruitment.{{cite news |first=James |last=Fyfe |url= https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2020/01/tim-costley-goes-from-air-force-rocker-to-national-candidate-for-taki.html |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20200311020020/https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2020/01/tim-costley-goes-from-air-force-rocker-to-national-candidate-for-taki.html |url-status= dead |archive-date= 11 March 2020 |title=Tim Costley goes from Air Force rocker to National candidate for Ōtaki |work=Newshub |date=28 January 2020 | access-date=9 October 2020 }}
Costley founded The Missing Wingman Trust, a charity that supports the families of RNZAF families where someone is killed, wounded, injured or ill.
Member of Parliament
{{NZ parlbox header|align=right}}
{{NZ parlbox
|term=54th
|start={{NZ election link year|2023}}
|end=present
|list=64
|party=New Zealand National Party
|electorate={{NZ electorate link|Ōtaki}}
}}
{{End}}
In November 2019, Costley was selected as the National Party candidate for the Ōtaki electorate at the 2020 general election. He lost to Labour Party candidate Terisa Ngobi by 2,988 votes.{{Cite web|title=Ōtaki – Official Result|url= https://electionresults.govt.nz/electionresults_2020/electorate-details-34.html|access-date=6 November 2020|website=Electoral Commission}}
Costley was again selected to run as the National Party candidate in the Ōtaki electorate during the 2023 New Zealand general election. Final results showed a "commanding win", with Costley receiving over 22,145 votes, a lead of more than 6,271 votes over Ngobi.{{Cite news |first=David |last=Haxton |date=26 October 2023 |title=New Ōtaki MP Tim Costley humbled by result |work=The New Zealand Herald |url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/kapiti-news/news/election-2023-tim-costley-clear-winner-in-race-to-become-otaki-mp/X5WDGN2ZBRHXNK62NYD77663QU/ |access-date=25 October 2023}}{{cite web |title=Ōtaki - Official Result |url=https://archive.electionresults.govt.nz/electionresults_2023/electorate-details-34.html |publisher=Electoral Commission |access-date=15 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231123104120/https://archive.electionresults.govt.nz/electionresults_2023/electorate-details-34.html |archive-date=23 November 2023 |date=3 November 2023 |url-status=live}} Costley gave his maiden statement in Parliament on 12 December 2023. He currently sits on the foreign affairs, defence and trade committee and the governance and administration committee.{{Cite web |date=2024-03-19 |title=Costley, Tim - New Zealand Parliament |url=https://www.parliament.nz/en/mps-and-electorates/members-of-parliament/costley-tim/ |access-date=2024-03-12 |website=www.parliament.nz |language=en}}
In June 2024, Costley attracted media attention after claiming over NZ$36,000 worth of housing allowance to live in a Wellington apartment that he owned. In response to criticism, Prime Minister and National Party leader Christopher Luxon defended Costley, stating that Members of Parliament often left late at night and that his 58km commute to his home in Waikanae was impractical.{{cite news |title=Christopher Luxon defends MP Tim Costley claiming allowance to live in own flat |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/519212/christopher-luxon-defends-mp-tim-costley-claiming-allowance-to-live-in-own-flat |access-date=17 June 2024 |work=RNZ |date=11 June 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240613174439/https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/519212/christopher-luxon-defends-mp-tim-costley-claiming-allowance-to-live-in-own-flat |archive-date=13 June 2024}}
Personal life
References
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External links
{{subject bar|auto=y|d=y|Politics|New Zealand}}
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{{s-par|nz}}
{{bef|before=Terisa Ngobi}}
{{s-ttl|title=Member of Parliament for Ōtaki|years=2023–present}}
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{{NZ National Party}}
{{Members of the New Zealand House of Representatives}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Costley, Tim}}
Category:New Zealand National Party MPs
Category:New Zealand MPs for North Island electorates
Category:Members of the New Zealand House of Representatives
Category:Royal New Zealand Air Force personnel
Category:Massey University alumni
Category:Alumni of Cranfield University
Category:Unsuccessful candidates in the 2020 New Zealand general election
Category:Candidates in the 2023 New Zealand general election
Category:Year of birth missing (living people)
Category:People educated at Palmerston North Boys' High School