aches ▁and ▁water ways ▁and ▁this ▁was ▁perce ived ▁as ▁being ▁under ▁threat . ▁The ▁Prime ▁Minister , ▁Helen ▁Clark ▁of ▁the ▁Labour ▁Party , ▁announced ▁that ▁the ▁government ▁would ▁legisl ate ▁to ▁ensure ▁public ▁ownership ▁of ▁the ▁for esh ore ▁and ▁se ab ed . ▁ ▁At ▁the ▁same ▁time , ▁however , ▁the ▁government ▁was ▁strongly ▁attacked ▁by ▁the ▁opposition ▁National ▁Party , ▁led ▁by ▁Don ▁Br ash . ▁In ▁sharp ▁contrast ▁to ▁Te ▁O pe ▁M ana ▁a ▁Tai , ▁the ▁National ▁Party ▁claimed ▁that ▁the ▁government ' s ▁propos als ▁were ▁too ▁fav ou rable ▁towards ▁M ā ori . ▁While ▁the ▁government ' s ▁plan ▁did ▁indeed ▁vest ▁ownership ▁in ▁the ▁state , ▁they ▁also ▁incorpor ated ▁provision ▁for ▁M ā ori ▁to ▁be ▁consult ed ▁over ▁matters ▁rel ating ▁to ▁the ▁for esh ore ▁and ▁se ab ed . ▁The ▁National ▁Party ▁claimed ▁that ▁M ā ori ▁were ▁to ▁be ▁given ▁too ▁much ▁control , ▁and ▁that ▁the ▁government ▁was ▁giving ▁rights ▁to ▁M ā ori ▁over ▁and ▁above ▁those ▁possessed ▁by ▁other ▁New ▁Zealand ers . ▁ ▁Once ▁the ▁Government ' s ▁policy ▁framework ▁was ▁released , ▁the ▁Wait ang i ▁Trib unal ▁held ▁an ▁ur gent ▁inqu iry ▁into ▁the ▁government ▁policy . ▁The ▁hearing ▁took ▁place ▁over ▁six ▁days ▁in ▁late ▁January ▁ 2 0 0 4 , ▁and ▁a ▁report ▁was ▁issued ▁four ▁weeks ▁later . ▁The ▁trib unal ▁issued ▁a ▁report ▁that ▁was ▁highly ▁critical ▁of ▁the ▁Crown ’ s ▁approach .