. ▁Br ash ▁said ▁that ▁the ▁government ▁was ▁showing ▁strong ▁favour it ism ▁to ▁M ā ori , ▁both ▁in ▁the ▁for esh ore ▁and ▁se ab ed ▁debate ▁and ▁in ▁many ▁other ▁areas ▁of ▁government ▁policy . ▁Br ash ' s ▁speech ▁was ▁condem ned ▁both ▁by ▁the ▁government ▁and ▁by ▁many ▁M ā ori ▁groups , ▁but ▁met ▁with ▁w ides p read ▁appro val ▁from ▁many ▁other ▁se ctors ▁of ▁New ▁Zealand ▁society . ▁This ▁support ▁was ▁boost ed ▁by ▁the ▁successful ▁‘ i wi / K i wi ’ ▁bill board ▁campaign ▁which ▁followed ▁Br ash ’ s ▁speech . ▁These ▁bill boards ▁fr amed ▁the ▁for esh ore ▁debate ▁as ▁the ▁Labour ▁Party ’ s ▁attempt ▁to ▁restrict ▁public ▁access ▁to ▁be aches , ▁while ▁the ▁National ▁Party ▁would ▁protect ▁this ▁aspect ▁of ▁the ▁‘ K i wi ▁way ▁of ▁life ’ . ▁Short ly ▁afterwards , ▁an ▁opinion ▁poll ▁put ▁the ▁National ▁Party ▁ahead ▁of ▁the ▁Labour ▁Party ▁for ▁the ▁first ▁time ▁in ▁over ▁ 1 8 ▁months . ▁ ▁The ▁government ▁was ▁also ▁facing ▁serious ▁internal ▁debate ▁over ▁its ▁proposed ▁legisl ation . ▁Many ▁of ▁the ▁party ' s ▁M ā ori ▁MP s ▁were ▁deeply ▁unh appy ▁with ▁the ▁government ' s ▁plans , ▁and ▁raised ▁the ▁possibility ▁of ▁breaking ▁ranks ▁to ▁opp ose ▁the ▁legisl ation ▁in ▁Parliament . ▁This ▁left ▁the ▁government ▁uns ure ▁of ▁whether ▁it ▁had ▁a ▁sufficient ▁number ▁of ▁votes ▁to ▁pass ▁its ▁legisl ation ▁through ▁Parliament . ▁In ▁theory