National s new Botany MP Christopher Luxon, the former CEO of Air New Zealand, was one of 15 MPs to vote against it. Luxon didn t speak during the first reading, but the conservative Christian has previously voiced his opposition to abortion.
National MP Chris Penk, who also voted against it, did speak. His primary concern was the broad use of the word communicating in the legislation, in relation to what would be prohibited in the abortion clinic safe zones.
In the law the definition of prohibited behaviour includes communicating with, among other things, a person in a manner that an ordinary reasonable person would know would cause emotional distress to a protected person .