Winston Peters turned into a grumpy old conservative man in the house yesterday. 

A role he assumes to hoover up votes from his constituents rather than the stately Foreign Minister image he shows to the rest of the world. 

He complained that Ricardo Menéndez March, the Green MP, wore a leather jacket in the house. It was a glossy little number, but was it disrespectful? 

It raises the question about clothes in the workforce. 

If you wear a $1,500 designer leather jacket, is that less respectful than a $300 suit from Laidlaw + Leeds from Farmers?

Things have obviously loosened. Our big boss wears a jacket, but I’ve never seen him in a tie. 

Casual Friday has become casual weekday.  

So, I’m not worried about Ricardo’s leather jacket - even though it gave off Boy George vibes and he looked like he was off to the disco. 

He obviously took care of his look and turned up well-groomed, even if he looked like a clown. 

And it’s not called the House of Representatives for nothing. It should be representative of all of us, including the leather jacket wearers.  

I’ve sometimes wondered at the ensembles that appear on our screens worn by public servants and MPs. Many are obviously expensive purchased on wages provided by the taxpayers.  

Flaunting your public purse wealth at us.  

But the biggest problem with Ricardo Menéndez March's leather jacket is that it’s leather.  

I thought you were a Green MP opposed to products derived from animal cruelty.  

The thing about symbolism is that it’s symbolic, and Ricardo’s leather jacket screamed hypocrisy. 

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