Tie requirement removed

Wellington: Speaker Trevor Mallard has announced ties are no longer mandatory in Parliament.

It comes days after a dress code stoush between him and Maori Party coleader Rawiri Waititi, who was ejected from the debating chamber for not wearing a tie.

Mr Mallard said a meeting of the Standing Orders Committee last night discussed the topic of appropriate business attire.

‘‘The committee did not reach a consensus but the majority of the committee was in favour of removing a requirement for ties to be part of ‘appropriate business attire’ for males,’’ he said. — The New Zealand Herald