Will’s Word: Minding dress codes won’t fix the cost of living crisis

So apparently, the Speaker of the House, Gerry Brownlee, wants to crack down on what MPs are wearing in Parliament. In 2025, with everything else that's going on, we're apparently looking at whether the politicians look tidy enough.

Honestly? I don't give a damn what MPs wear. As long as they actually do their jobs. If someone's out here fixing the housing crisis, pushing through fair pay, or getting Pacific kids better access to education, they can do it in jandals for all I care.

Do it bare feet. What matters to me is results, not the outfit they wear. Most mornings, I rock up to work in blue jeans and Doc Martens. Some days, I throw on a hoodie. Just yesterday, I was in a tracksuit jumper interviewing Winston Peters.

Other days, I'll iron a shirt. I'll put on a suit. But no matter what I'm wearing, I still do the mahi. Clothing, for the most part, doesn't define professionalism, behaviour does. And to be fair, a lot of our MPs already use fashion as an expression.

Rawiri Waititi in his hats, it's part of his identity. Chlöe Swarbrick, always seen in sneakers, it's relatable, it's grounded. Even Winston Peters. I envy his fashion sense. He wears pinstripe suits, always got a pocket square and a tie on.

The man looks incredibly sharp and I respect his consistency. If Parliament's supposed to reflect New Zealand, it should look like us: diverse, messy, real. It doesn't always have to look like a corporate boardroom.

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And where's the evidence out there to suggest that stricter dress codes make people more professional anyway? I'd argue I'd done some of my worst interviews in a suit, if I reflect on my own career.

Putting too much time in the way I dress, not focussing on the questions I'm about to ask. So, we've got bigger fish to fry: a cost of living crisis and an economic downturn.

I know the great irony, I'm talking about it right now, in terms of a dress code at Parliament. But really, honestly, come on, wear what you like but within reason.

That's Will's Word.