Mr Poynter always dressed to impress and would turn up to meetings wearing a tie. He was quick to Chas-tise anyone who let their standard of dress drop to levels he considered inappropriate. Then along came the avant-garde era of Mayor Michael Laws.
The sight of this former mayor prancing around council offices and sitting around the council table in lycra, so I am told, was indeed a sight for very sore eyes.
A former district councillor told me a number of local women often complained about such tight garments. Evidently, such attire was unbecoming of an officer and a gentleman.
While I will open myself up to claims of pettiness, given there are far more important issues for a council to discuss, I suggest it is time our council adopted a dress code that befits professionals who represent our community.
As a citizen and ratepayer I expect a certain standard from those elected to represent us. I doubt there would be a professional organisation in this country that would let their staff turn up dressed like a number of our councillors have done in recent times.
Professional attire is something every elected representative needs to take seriously if he or she want to be respected by the community.
My first attendance at a council meeting, just more than a year ago, had me in shock - dirty, grubby polar fleece was the attire for one councillor who had come straight from his day job.
A couple of others even sat there in rugby shorts, jandals and sloppy looking T-shirts, while one didn't even bother to wear any footwear at all. To me, it was a disgrace and a sign of disrespect for the position they held. These people are the leaders of our community and should dress accordingly.
That does not mean they have to wear a three-piece suit and tie. It has become more acceptable in business circles not to wear a tie these days, especially during hot summer months. But the attire must be professional: dress pants, business shirt, a business jacket/suit on colder days and business shoes for males.
As for female councillors ... well, I am not exactly sure, but I certainly know when a woman is professionally dressed and when she looks shabby. I am pleased to say all of the female councillors I have seen have always been professionally dressed; the men, however, leave a lot to be desired.
To date, I have been impressed by the standard of dress of our present group of councillors but, as he has done on occasions last term, our rural community board representative turned up to the most recent meeting in his rugby shorts, a sloppy T-shirt and jandals which, unfortunately, lowers the tone and reflects on every councillor badly.
I suggest it is time for a dress code, Mayor McDouall, before our council sinks to the lowest common denominator.
While appearance may not be everything in Whanganui, it was Polonius who instructed his son Laertes, in Shakespeare's Hamlet, as he departed for Paris, that he would appear to be noble if he so dressed ...
**Steve Baron is a Whanganui-based political commentator, author and Founder of Better Democracy NZ. He holds degrees economics and political science
