▁On ▁ 1 8 ▁November ▁ 2 0 0 4 , ▁the ▁Labour / Progress ive ▁government ▁passed ▁the ▁For esh ore ▁and ▁Se ab ed ▁Act , ▁which ▁declared ▁that ▁the ▁land ▁in ▁question ▁was ▁owned ▁by ▁the ▁Crown . ▁M ā ori ▁can , ▁however , ▁apply ▁for ▁" guard ians hip " ▁of ▁certain ▁areas . ▁The ▁Act ▁was ▁highly ▁content ious . ▁ ▁The ▁government ' s ▁for esh ore ▁and ▁se ab ed ▁bill ▁passed ▁its ▁first ▁vote ▁in ▁Parliament ▁on ▁ 7 ▁May ▁ 2 0 0 4 , ▁back ed ▁by ▁Labour , ▁the ▁Progress ives , ▁and ▁New ▁Zealand ▁First . ▁The ▁National ▁Party ▁opposed ▁the ▁bill , ▁saying ▁that ▁it ▁gave ▁too ▁much ▁control ▁to ▁M ā ori , ▁United ▁Future ▁opposed ▁it ▁due ▁to ▁the ▁removal ▁of ▁the ▁public ▁domain ▁concept ▁and ▁A CT ▁opposed ▁it ▁on ▁the ▁grounds ▁of ▁the ▁legisl ation ▁being ▁ret ros pective , ▁that ▁it ▁was ▁a ▁den ial ▁of ▁property ▁rights ▁( in ▁this ▁case ▁M ā ori ▁property ▁rights ), ▁and ▁that ▁it ▁was ▁an ▁unw arr anted ▁inc urs ion ▁by ▁the ▁Crown ▁into ▁areas ▁that ▁were ▁specifically ▁T ik anga ▁M ā ori ▁. ▁The ▁Gre ens , ▁another ▁party ▁in ▁Parliament ▁to ▁take ▁a ▁position ▁similar ▁to ▁that ▁of ▁the ▁M ā ori ▁protest ers , ▁also ▁voted ▁against ▁the ▁bill , ▁saying ▁that ▁it ▁over ro de ▁M ā ori ▁rights ▁and ▁offered ▁no ▁guarantee ▁that ▁the ▁land ▁would ▁not ▁later ▁be