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| | The Head Heeb: Shoring up a majority |
 | | New Zealand's controversial foreshore and seabed bill, which will confirm public ownership of foreshore and offshore areas while preserving certain traditional Maori access rights, has passed its first reading with the support of the opposition NZ First Party. |
 | | The bill, which would overturn a ruling of the Waitangi Tribunal, has caused unprecedented opposition among Maori; two Maori MPs from the governing Labour Party voted against the bill, but one of them, Nanaia Mahuta, backed off her earlier threat to quit the Government and cost the ruling coalition its majority. |
 | | The other dissident MP, Tariana Turia, has resigned from Labour and been fired from her ministerial posts and intends to quit Parliament on May 17. |
| headheeb.blogmosis.com /archives/024936.html (550 words) |
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