, ▁the ▁government ▁had ▁a ▁narrow ▁majority ▁willing ▁to ▁support ▁its ▁proposed ▁bill , ▁with ▁Labour , ▁the ▁Progress ives , ▁and ▁United ▁Future ▁all ▁prepared ▁to ▁vote ▁in ▁favour . ▁If ▁two ▁of ▁Labour ' s ▁M ā ori ▁MP s ▁were ▁to ▁vote ▁against ▁the ▁bill , ▁however , ▁it ▁would ▁fail . ▁Moreover , ▁any ▁attempt ▁to ▁make ▁the ▁bill ▁more ▁fav ou rable ▁to ▁these ▁MP s ▁would ▁risk ▁losing ▁the ▁support ▁of ▁United ▁Future . ▁ ▁On ▁ 8 ▁April ▁ 2 0 0 4 , ▁it ▁was ▁announced ▁that ▁the ▁cent rist - n ational ist ▁New ▁Zealand ▁First ▁party ▁would ▁give ▁its ▁support ▁to ▁the ▁legisl ation . ▁New ▁Zealand ▁First ' s ▁price ▁for ▁this ▁support ▁was ▁that ▁ownership ▁of ▁the ▁se ab ed ▁and ▁for esh ore ▁would ▁be ▁v ested ▁sole ly ▁in ▁the ▁Crown , ▁ending ▁the ▁concept ▁of ▁" public ▁domain " ▁( vest ing ▁ownership ▁in ▁the ▁public ▁at ▁large ▁rather ▁than ▁in ▁the ▁state ) ▁that ▁United ▁Future ▁had ▁promoted . ▁United ▁Future ▁with d rew ▁its ▁support ▁for ▁the ▁legisl ation , ▁but ▁New ▁Zealand ▁First ▁provided ▁sufficient ▁votes ▁to ▁make ▁this ▁irrelevant . ▁It ▁is ▁believed ▁that ▁Helen ▁Clark ▁preferred ▁United ▁Future ' s ▁" public ▁domain ", ▁and ▁this ▁was ▁acknowled ged ▁by ▁United ▁Future ▁leader ▁Peter ▁Dun ne , ▁but ▁United ▁Future ▁could ▁not ▁provide ▁enough ▁votes ▁to ▁guarantee ▁the ▁bill ' s ▁passage , ▁forcing ▁Labour ▁to ▁seek ▁support ▁elsewhere . ▁ ▁One ▁of