▁views ▁( as ▁vo iced ▁previously ▁by ▁Bill ▁English , ▁for ▁example ), ▁these ▁comments ▁resulted ▁in ▁National ▁receiving ▁an ▁un pre ced ented ▁boost ▁in ▁a ▁public ▁opinion ▁poll . ▁National ▁gained ▁ 1 7 ▁percentage ▁points ▁in ▁the ▁February ▁ 2 0 0 4 ▁Col mar ▁Brun ton ▁poll ▁for ▁Television ▁New ▁Zealand , ▁taken ▁shortly ▁after ▁the ▁speech . ▁The ▁sur ge ▁in ▁National ▁support ▁marked ▁the ▁biggest ▁single ▁gain ▁by ▁a ▁political ▁party ▁in ▁a ▁single ▁poll ▁in ▁Col mar ▁Brun ton ' s ▁pol ling ▁history . ▁In ▁the ▁months ▁that ▁followed , ▁changes ▁of ▁emphas is ▁in ▁Labour ' s ▁policy ▁ag enda ▁became ▁apparent ▁as ▁Labour ▁attempted ▁to ▁rec oup ▁the ▁ground ▁lost ▁to ▁National ▁in ▁the ▁February ▁poll . ▁ ▁Short ly ▁after ▁the ▁delivery ▁of ▁the ▁O re wa ▁speech , ▁Br ash ▁fired ▁his ▁M ā ori ▁Affairs ▁sp ok esp erson ▁Georg ina ▁te ▁He u he u ▁because ▁she ▁would ▁not ▁public ly ▁support ▁his ▁speech . ▁ ▁After ▁the ▁February ▁peak , ▁National ▁suffered ▁a ▁steady ▁decl ine ▁in ▁public ▁opinion ▁pol ls , ▁leaving ▁it ▁ 1 1 ▁points ▁behind ▁Labour ▁at ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁ 2 0 0 4 . ▁ ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 4 , ▁following ▁a ▁political ▁speech ▁given ▁by ▁the ▁Prime ▁Minister ▁Helen ▁Clark ▁inside ▁the ▁Christ ch urch ▁C athedral , ▁Br ash ▁wrote ▁to ▁the ▁Dean ▁of ▁the ▁C athedral , ▁Peter ▁Beck . ▁In ▁his ▁letter ▁he ▁critic ised ▁Clark