ore ▁and ▁se ab ed ▁issue , ▁as ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁larger ▁race ▁relations ▁debate , ▁was ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁most ▁significant ▁points ▁of ▁cont ention ▁in ▁New ▁Zealand ▁politics ▁at ▁the ▁time , ▁and ▁remains ▁a ▁significant ▁issue ▁for ▁many ▁people . ▁The ▁Labour ▁government ' s ▁popular ity ▁was ▁sever ely ▁dam aged ▁by ▁the ▁affair , ▁although ▁subsequent ▁pol ls ▁showed ▁that ▁it ▁recovered ▁its ▁support ▁and ▁Labour ▁was ▁elected ▁for ▁a ▁third ▁term ▁in ▁September ▁ 2 0 0 5 . ▁ ▁While ▁the ▁Act ▁was ▁widely ▁critic ised ▁by ▁M ā ori , ▁some ▁i wi ▁have ▁chosen ▁to ▁negoti ate ▁agreement ▁within ▁the ▁bounds ▁of ▁the ▁Act . ▁The ▁first ▁agreement ▁made ▁through ▁the ▁act ▁was ▁rat ified ▁by ▁Ng ati ▁Por ou ▁and ▁the ▁Crown ▁in ▁October ▁ 2 0 0 8 ▁( see ▁below ). ▁ ▁Special ▁R app orte ur ▁In ▁November ▁ 2 0 0 5 , ▁following ▁government ▁criticism ▁of ▁the ▁report ▁issued ▁by ▁the ▁UN ▁Committee ▁on ▁the ▁El im ination ▁of ▁Ra cial ▁Disc rim ination ▁( UN C ER D ), ▁Special ▁R app orte ur ▁Professor ▁St aven hagen , ▁a ▁Mexican ▁research er ▁who ▁reports ▁to ▁UN C ER D , ▁arrived ▁in ▁New ▁Zealand ▁at ▁the ▁inv itation ▁of ▁the ▁Government . ▁ ▁He ▁attended ▁four ▁h ui ▁and ▁heard ▁severe ▁criticism ▁of ▁the ▁government . ▁ ▁He ▁also ▁met ▁with ▁Deput y ▁Prime ▁Minister , ▁Dr ▁Michael ▁C ull en ▁who ▁craft ed ▁the ▁for