▁clearly ▁many ▁New ▁Zealand ers ▁who ▁do ▁see ▁themselves ▁as ▁distinct ly ▁and ▁distinct ively ▁Ma ori ▁– ▁but ▁it ▁is ▁also ▁clear ▁there ▁are ▁few , ▁if ▁any , ▁fully ▁Ma ori ▁left ▁here . ▁There ▁has ▁been ▁a ▁lot ▁of ▁inter mar riage ▁and ▁that ▁has ▁been ▁welcome . ▁ ▁These ▁comments ▁received ▁a ▁negative ▁response ▁from ▁other ▁political ▁leaders , ▁who ▁port rayed ▁foc uss ing ▁on ▁blood ▁quantum ▁as ▁divis ive ▁and ▁as ▁h ark ing ▁back ▁to ▁rac ist ▁laws , ▁and ▁who ▁suggested ▁the ▁appropri aten ess ▁for ▁Ma ori ▁themselves ▁to ▁determine ▁how ▁to ▁define ▁themselves . ▁ ▁Br ash ▁question ed ▁whether ▁M ā ori ▁remained ▁a ▁distinct ▁ind igen ous ▁group ▁because ▁few ▁" full - blo oded " ▁individuals ▁surv ive . ▁This ▁drew ▁criticism ▁from ▁a ▁range ▁of ▁his ▁advers aries , ▁including ▁Ma ori ▁Party ▁co - le ader ▁Tar iana ▁Tur ia , ▁who ▁cancel led ▁a ▁dinner ▁with ▁him ▁in ▁protest . ▁In ▁a ▁statement ▁to ▁explain ▁his ▁position ▁on ▁ 3 0 ▁September ▁ 2 0 0 6 , ▁Br ash ▁said ▁that ▁the ▁Government ▁had ▁no ▁responsibility ▁to ▁address ▁the ▁over - re presentation ▁of ▁M ā ori ▁in ▁negative ▁social ▁statistics . ▁" If ▁M ā ori ▁New ▁Zealand ers ▁die ▁more ▁frequently ▁from ▁lung ▁cancer ▁than ▁non - M ā ori ▁do , ▁for ▁example , ▁it ▁is ▁almost ▁certainly ▁because ▁M ā ori ▁New ▁Zealand ers ▁choose ▁to ▁smoke ▁more ▁heavily ▁than ▁other ▁New