Intelligence Agencies Minister Andrew Little has decried the "extremes" of public debate about security issues, and foreshadowed an impending announcement that will "test" critics of the spy agencies.

Little, in a speech to Victoria University’s Centre for Strategic Studies on Thursday evening, said New Zealand was facing rapidly evolving terror, cyber, and foreign interference threats, and a more “robust” discussion about national security was needed.

He also signalled the Government would roll out greater screening of passengers and baggage on regional flights.

“We will never prevent every hateful act. Foreign states will continue to exploit the openness of our institutions and society, and use our freedoms against us,” he said.

“Next week I will make an announcement on a change to one of our security platforms related to this very point – and I expect that reporting on that announcement will be a test for some commentators.”

The sweeping speech, delivered nearly a year after the Royal Commission into the Christchurch mosque terror attacks made numerous recommendations to improve the country's counter-terror efforts, was a scene-setter for the Government’s promised reforms.

The Government, in the aftermath of the royal commission, has committed to creating a new national security agency, review the spy agencies’ powers under the Intelligence and Security Act, and has amended the Terrorism Suppression Act to criminalise terror planning.

Little did not provide further detail on what the impending Government announcement would be and it was not apparent whether it was related to the royal commission.

He heavily criticised of the public’s “overnight” switch between fear of mass-surveillance by the spy agencies – prior to the 2019 Christchurch mosque terror attack – to “outrage that our agencies did not know everything about everyone”.

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“It is possible the secrecy that surrounds intelligence work means flipping between these extremes is understandable. But it is not a sound basis for rational discussion about what we want and what is reasonable to expect from our national security and intelligence function.”

Little said the country’s national security was damaged by a “low information base” – or poor understanding people had about national security.

Little said that while there had been "discomfort” about the intelligence agencies in the past, there had been successes which did not make the newspapers.

“In a liberal democracy there must be limits on our security apparatus. Our intelligence agencies do not have the means, nor the social licence, nor the legal authority to behave like the Hollywood imagining of spy craft.

“What our intelligence agencies do is mostly quite mundane.”

Answering a question from the audience, Little said the Government accepted there was a need to improve security on domestic flights. Passengers and their baggage are not routinely screened on many regional flights.

“You’ll see over time the level of screening we do for jet fights will eventually be rolled out to those flights as well ... so that will be done.”

“Earlier this year I travelled the country to meet with Muslim and ethnic communities ... I heard how offensive Kiwi Muslims find media commentary and political polemic which conflates them with acts of offshore terrorism.”