The National Party isn’t buying the prime minister’s comments that the issue of entrenchment should go back to parliament’s business committee.

Last week, an unexpected move under urgency saw parts of the controversial three waters legislation entrenched, meaning more than the usual 50% majority will be required to untangle them by future governments.

It sparked criticism from legal experts and opposition MPs – and you can read all about that in this piece by Andrew Geddis.

Yesterday, Jacinda Ardern confirmed to media that the issue of entrenchment would be looked at again. She denied it was allowed to happen due to the busy urgency schedule, but instead said the business committee will look at it closely.

But National’s Chris Bishop, the shadow leader of the house, said the PM was confusing the issue further. “The business committee has nothing to do with this. It is Labour and the Greens’ mistake, and they need to fix it,” said Bishop.

“Entrenchment should only be used for constitutional matters, and only after careful thought and debate, not during a rushed process like this was.”

Asked by The Spinoff yesterday, Ardern refused to confirm her personal preference for whether entrenchment should be used for the three waters legislation. She said, however, that she agreed with examining the appropriate use of entrenchment.

Advance voting opened yesterday in the Hamilton West byelection, and the turnout was, well, modest. A total of 686 votes were cast in the electorate. That compares with 1,709 advance votes in the constituency on the first day in the 2020 general election, and 1,319 on the first advance voting day in the byelection in Tauranga earlier this year.

There are 11 days to go until election day, December 10. The contest was triggered by the resignation of Gaurav Sharma from parliament, which followed a series of claims about bullying that led to his expulsion from the Labour caucus. An outsider in the current contest, Sharma took part in a Waikato Chamber of Commerce debate last night alongside Tama Potaka of National, Georgie Dansey of Labour, Act list MP James McDowall and Naomi Pocock of the Opportunities Party. You can watch that here.

The founder of the annual World of Wearable Art (WOW) showcase has confirmed the sale of the Wellington extravaganza to New Zealand company Still.

The annual awards show has been held in the capital since 2005. According to the new deal, that won’t change and nor will the structure, staffing or day-to-day operations of the company.

Dame Suzie Moncrieff said WOW had been an exciting adventure – but it was time for a change. “Heather [Palmer, sister and co-founder] and I have worked so hard over the past 35 years, sometimes against the odds. The Covid years were immensely challenging and we realised it was time to step back, time for a reset for us and for WOW,” Moncrieff said.

“I am so immensely proud of what has been achieved over those years and excited for the creative expansion that lies ahead for WOW.”

Still is a family-run New Zealand business owned by Hideaki Fukutake, identified by Stuff as the son of Japanese billionaire Soichiro Fukutake. The WOW press release said that Still was aware of the “cultural responsibility” of taking on the awards show.

“The World of WearableArt is a New Zealand treasure,” said Fukutake “We know how important WOW is to New Zealand and we are passionate about ensuring it lasts well into the future – for at least another 35 years and beyond.

“For STILL this is about protecting a creative treasure for future generations of New Zealanders and making a long term contribution to creativity and culture in Aotearoa New Zealand.”

“Our overriding impression was of a fundraising world that was often murky … a space in which high-net-worth donors, politicians, and party staffers mixed regularly — and where money was always in the air, even if not explicitly mentioned.”

That’s the precis from Max Rashbrooke, researcher and co-author (with Lisa Marriott) of Money For Something, a new report into how the rules around political donations in Aotearoa currently function – and where they badly need a refresh. In the report, written over the course of 2022 and launched yesterday, Rashbrooke and Marriott look at decades of historic data and new polling into public perception, measuring our laws against those of other developed democracies and, ultimately, making a series of recommendations to close what they see as a significant regulatory gap.

The full report and executive summary can be found here, or keep an eye on The Spinoff later this week for a helpful illustrated explainer of what this all means – and what can be done about it. (Sponsored)

Wayne Brown has welcomed the news of another $2 million in funding to tackle growing retail crime.

Announced yesterday afternoon by the prime minister, the funding comes as part of a new crime prevention package unveiled in the days following the alleged murder of dairy worker Janak Patel.

Auckland has secured half of the $4 million council funding, with the rest being split between Hamilton and Bay of Plenty. It will help with the likes of street lighting, CCTV and concrete planter boxers to deter ram raiders.

“Here at the front line, Auckland Council, our council-controlled organisations, our local boards, and especially local business associations… invested around $7 million on these sorts of programmes last year,” mayor Brown said. “Every extra bit helps, and I thanked the prime minister for making these new funds available when she called me yesterday.”

Additional funding was also announced yesterday for a $10 million fog cannon rollout for all small businesses and dairies that opt in.

In a departure from advice from her predecessors, retirement commissioner Jane Wrightson said New Zealanders aren’t wealthy enough to cope with a higher pension age. The Retirement Commission makes policy recommendations to the government every three years. Wrightson said 40%​ of people aged 65​ and over had virtually no other income besides NZ Super.

“Even with NZ Super, close to one in three people don’t think they will have enough for retirement unless they continue working past 65,” she said. “Any increase to the age of people accessing NZ Super will only further disadvantage women, Māori, and Pacific People,” said Wrightson.

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As the government unveils a plan aimed at preventing retail crime, the police have outlined how they intend to become more visible in the community and update their policy for chasing fleeing drivers.

Police will have an increased presence and visibility in areas experiencing the most harm from serious retail crime, said commissioner Andrew Coster, and will expand a gang-focussed operation to intensify efforts to target prolific offenders.

“Those districts most affected by retail burglaries and robberies have already demonstrated a strong focus on apprehending offenders, having increased visibility in their community, and working with other government agencies to address the broader social issues associated with this offending,” said Coster.

“Police will further sharpen a focus on reducing this type of harm in the community, and where possible, have increased foot and vehicle patrols in shopping precincts in areas where there has been an increased number of reports.”

Alongside additional officers on the ground, Coster confirmed that police operation cobalt – which focused on disrupting unlawful gang behaviour – will be extended into 2023.

Meanwhile, amid criticism that offenders in vehicles are often able to escape from police following a change in the pursuit policy, Coster confirmed the fleeing driver policy will be updated for the new year. “We know there is a desire for change and a perception that offenders are more brazen and more willing to take risks with their driving behaviour,” Coster said.

“The revisions will bring us back to a more balanced position, while still prioritising the safety of officers and the public.”