Ties serve no purpose or function in a man's attire other than to denote to others his status or importance.
I argue that a smart business jacket, slacks and nice contrasting collared shirt can do the same thing.
Which is why I agree with Waiariki MP Rawiri Waititi, who tried to speak during question time in Parliament on Tuesday but was ejected from the house by Speaker of the House Trevor Mallard for not wearing a tie.
Mallard had told Waititi early on in question time that he would not be allowed to speak if he was not wearing a tie. Waititi said he was wearing a taonga that he says, in a tweet, connects him to his tipuna, whenua and people.
Commonsense prevailed on Wednesday though, when Mallard, after a sigh, allowed Waititi to speak.
Not wearing a tie surely does not impede on a person's ability to do their job – in this case, to stand up in the debating chamber and advocate on behalf of their constituents.
While I acknowledge it's the job of the Speaker to keep order in the house, surely one missing tie does not equal a ruckus.
Ties are an outdated nod to the past. It's 2021. Businesses who have customer-facing staff very rarely wear ties. Teachers are not required to wear them, neither are journalists nor businessmen, so long as they look tidy and respectable.
In my view, Mallard needs to relax the dress code and let the MPs get on with their jobs.