Legislation giving workers Monday off if Waitangi Day or Anzac Day falls on a weekend is a step closer to becoming law.
The Holidays Bill means that when Waitangi or Anzac day fall on a weekend - such as for Anzac Day in 2015, on the centenary of the Gallipoli landings - people would be given the following Monday as a holiday.
It will be 2021 before both days fall on the weekend during the same year.
The member's bill, in the name of the Labour MP David Clark, passed its second reading on Wednesday night by 61 votes to 60.
Labour, the Greens, United Future, Mana, the Maori Party, New Zealand First and the independent MP Brendan Horan all voted for the legislation.
The legislation now has to pass its committee stages and third reading before becoming law.
Mr Clark says if the bill does become law it won't dilute the importance of either day.
He says commemorations would still happen on the day as usual, and the law change would simply allow New Zealanders to enjoy all 11 public holidays in full.
One lobbyist the Tourism Industry Association, has backed "mondayisation" of some public holidays with the argument that it could have real flow-on benefits for the domestic tourism sector.
The association's policy and research manager Simon Wallace says the holiday park sector experienced an increase in visitors staying when Waitangi Day fell on a Monday last year.
He says three-day weekends are better for businesses and extra costs will be outweighed by the extra tourism dollars being spent.
