1. Tim Costley was elected as the Member of Parliament in the House of Representatives for Otaki, representing the National Party, in the 2023 general election.
19 Facts About Tim Costley
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Tim Costley was previously a pilot with the Royal New Zealand Air Force.
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Tim Costley has one sister and one brother and was educated at Palmerston North Boys' High School.
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Tim Costley 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.
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Tim Costley joined the Royal New Zealand Air Force in 2001 as a pilot.
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Tim Costley operated Bell UH-1 Iroquois and NHIndustries NH90 helicopters.
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Tim Costley saw operational flying service in the Solomon Islands and East Timor.
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Tim Costley 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.
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Tim Costley was second-in-command of pilot training and command of the NH90 helicopters for the RNZAF.
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In 2014, Tim 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.
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Tim Costley later achieved the rank of wing commander and finished his career as Commanding Officer of the Flying Training Wing at Ohakea airbase.
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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.
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Tim Costley founded The Missing Wingman Trust, a charity that supports the families of RNZAF families where someone is killed, wounded, injured or ill.
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In November 2019, Tim Costley was selected as the National Party candidate for the Otaki electorate at the 2020 general election.
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Tim Costley lost to Labour Party candidate Terisa Ngobi by 2,988 votes.
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Tim Costley was again selected to run as the National Party candidate in the Otaki electorate during the 2023 New Zealand general election.
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Tim Costley gave his maiden statement in Parliament on 12 December 2023.
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Tim Costley currently sits on the foreign affairs, defence and trade committee and the governance and administration committee.
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In June 2024, Tim Costley attracted media attention after claiming over NZ$36,000 worth of housing allowance to live in a Wellington apartment that he owned.