John Battersby, a specialist on terrorism and counter-terrorism at Massey University, told RNZ New Zealand's terror laws have been "outdated and deficient basically since they were passed."
He says the deficiencies in the Terrorism Suppression Act were noted in 2007 in Operation 8, where it was picked up that planning something wasn't an offence.
Battersby said New Zealand has had an aversity to making laws about terrorism going back to the Rainbow Warrior attack.
"Because there's been this kind of complacency in New Zealand that terrorism isn't something that happens here...Even after Christchurch, we're now two-and-a-half years after the Christchurch attacks, and the law hasn't changed, yet."
"We're definitely a reluctant legislator when it comes to terrorism legislation, and we really need to wake up that the developments in modern terrorism are going to affect us, and go on affecting us"
Counter-terrorism expert Dr John Battersby, from the Centre for Defence and Security Studies. Photo: David Wiltshire
"While I think there are changes that are necessary, and long overdue...I agree [with Professor Andrew Geddis] that they may not have made much difference [in this case]."
He says no law is guaranteed to stop attacks like yesterday's, but laws should make it as difficult as possible to carry them out attacks like yesterday, and New Zealand hasn't done that.
"The one thing that we must understand though is that we can not guarantee, whatever we do, that we will always stop something like this."
He says there have been multiple lone actor attacks overseas, where much stronger and more draconian laws have still been unable to stop these kinds of attacks."
