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But let’s be real, nobody actually cares about Willis' eyesore of a wardrobe. This is another manufactured controversy, a classic right-wing sleight of hand to distract from the real issues: an austerity budget that’s gutting public services and increasing hardship for already struggling New Zealanders.
Today, the ODT reported:
Willis delivered last week's Budget in a blue dress, believed to be the Nouvelle Sculpt Stretch Crepe Dress, from British womenswear label The Fold London, according to The New Zealand Herald.
Caroline Marr, owner of Auckland-based fashion brand The Carpenter's Daughter, told the Herald that Willis' decision not to wear a Kiwi brand during the high-profile moment was a signal of "total disrespect" to the local fashion industry.
"We have wonderful designers here, Jacinda [Ardern] got it right by wearing NZ-made as much as possible. Our leaders should also be doing that. Be proud of your nation and what we make here."
The 2025 Budget, dressed up as a “growth” plan, is anything but. Willis has slashed $1.1 billion in new spending, citing Trump’s tariffs and a slowing economy. Meanwhile, the government’s axing $12.8 billion from pay equity settlements, hitting women in low-paid, female-dominated sectors like care work the hardest. These aren’t just numbers, they’re livelihoods. The budget also halves KiwiSaver contributions, tightens welfare for 18 and 19-year-olds, which will leave many families struggling. This isn’t “fiscal discipline”; it’s austerity that punishes the vulnerable while funnelling $6.6 billion in tax breaks to businesses and landlords.
And let’s talk about the racist undertones. The budget scraps Māori and Pasifika initiatives, part of nearly 4000 public sector jobs and 240 programs cut. These weren’t “wasteful” project, they were targeted support for communities already facing systemic inequities. Labour’s Barbara Edmonds called it a budget that “leaves women out,” but it’s also a budget that sidelines Māori and Pasifika, deepening disparities under the guise of “responsibility.” The Greens’ Marama Davidson nailed it: this government is “happy to be cruel and mean” to those already struggling.
But here's what senior government ministers are concerned with:
Focusing on what our Minister of Finance is wearing instead of the outstanding Growth Budget she’s just delivered? Be better. pic.twitter.com/0PMgZa4e8F
— Christopher Bishop (@cjsbishop) May 24, 2025
Talk about tedious!
So why the dress drama, which has been doing the rounds in right-wing echo-chambers for days now? It’s a deliberate distraction. The Herald’s article and right-wing MPs like Chris Bishop and David Seymour hyping it on social media are trying to shift focus from the budget’s failures. This is about burying the pay equity scandal and the budget’s harsh cuts. Instead of debating real issues, like how austerity has historically tanked economies (look at Greece or the UK) or how these cuts will drive even more Kiwis overseas, they’re obsessing over someones opinion about a $1100 blue dress. It’s pathetic!
Willis herself said there are “far more interesting things to talk about” than her clothes. She’s right, but not for the reasons she thinks. We should be talking about a budget that prioritises corporate tax breaks over people, that ignores climate change, and that kicks marginalised communities when they’re down. The dress? It’s just a distraction to keep us from noticing the mess this government’s creating with their socially destructive policies.
While Caroline Marr correctly calls Willis’ wardrobe choice “disrespectful” to local designers, the real scandal is Budget 2025’s $1.1 billion in spending cuts, $12.8 billion slashed from pay equity, and the gutting of Māori and Pasifika initiatives. These austerity measures hit the vulnerable hardest, yet the government wants us debating fashion choices instead of their cruel policies. It’s a pathetic distraction from a budget that prioritises tax breaks for the wealthy over everyday Kiwis.
