Legislation that will introduce a new offence - planning a terrorist attack - is a step closer to becoming law.
Photo: RNZ / Alexander Robertson
The Counter-Terrorism Legislation Bill passed its second reading in Parliament this afternoon.
ACT, the Greens and Te Pāti Māori opposed it.
Following the LynnMall attack the prime minister announced the bill would be fast-tracked through the house.
Justice Minister Kris Faafoi says recent events have shown terror can take many forms.
"The impacts of these attacks on the New Zealand community has been immense and we must do everything we can to prevent such events from happening again," he says.
Faafoi says the nature of terrorism is changing and the laws need to change to respond to it.
The ACT Party, however, expressed its concern at the speed the bill was passing through the house.
MP Nicole McKee says the bill was not due to be delivered back to the House until November.
"Having the liberty of time - that should have been afforded this bill, we could have perhaps waded in on some other matters with more consideration and perhaps even sought further changes," she says.
McKee says the bill goes beyond the gaps identified from the LynnMall attack and should not be rushed through.
Te Pāti Māori co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer says the party has huge empathy for the victims of terrorism.
But she also notes that such legislation has historically been used against Māori, such as the Tūhoe raids and Parihaka.
