▁The ▁Government ▁response ▁was ▁equally ▁sharp ▁and ▁critical , ▁acc using ▁the ▁trib unal ▁of ▁‘ imp licit ly ’ ▁reject ing ▁the ▁principle ▁of ▁parliament ary ▁so vere ig nt y .. ▁The ▁Att orney - General , ▁taking ▁a ▁more ▁middle ▁ground , ▁conced ed ▁that ▁the ▁policy ▁was ▁prima ▁fac ie ▁disc rimin atory , ▁but ▁concluded ▁that ▁this ▁in fr ing ement ▁was ▁" dem on stra b ly ▁just ifiable ▁in ▁a ▁free ▁and ▁dem ocr atic ▁society " ▁under ▁section ▁ 5 ▁of ▁the ▁New ▁Zealand ▁Bill ▁of ▁Rights ▁Act ▁ 1 9 9 0 . ▁The ▁Human ▁Rights ▁Commission ▁took ▁another ▁view , ▁arg uing ▁that ▁the ▁legisl ation ▁was ▁disc rimin atory ▁and ▁not ▁just ified ▁by ▁section ▁ 5 . ▁ ▁O ng o ing ▁debate ▁ ▁Although ▁under ▁attack ▁from ▁both ▁sides , ▁the ▁government ▁chose ▁to ▁press ▁forward ▁with ▁its ▁legisl ation , ▁as ser ting ▁that ▁what ▁it ▁called ▁its ▁" middle ▁way " ▁was ▁the ▁only ▁means ▁of ▁satisf actor ily ▁resol ving ▁the ▁controvers y . ▁Crit ic ism ▁of ▁the ▁government , ▁both ▁from ▁M ā ori ▁and ▁from ▁opposition ▁parties , ▁continued ▁to ▁intens ify , ▁and ▁the ▁government ▁began ▁to ▁lose ▁ground ▁in ▁opinion ▁pol ls . ▁ ▁On ▁ 2 7 ▁January ▁ 2 0 0 4 , ▁National ▁Party ▁leader ▁Don ▁Br ash ▁delivered ▁a ▁speech ▁at ▁O re wa ▁that ▁was ▁highly ▁critical ▁of ▁the ▁government ' s ▁policy ▁towards ▁M ā ori