Singing legend Sir Howard Morrison may have turned down Owen Glenn's offer of $1 million to enter Parliament but he is going to Parliament anyway - at least for a few hours today.
Sir Howard is due to brief Labour's Maori caucus this evening about a pilot projecthe helped to run in Rotorua, Fight for the Future. His hope is that is will be replicated in other centres.
"The essence of it is to realise the crisis in Maori and Polynesian health and doing it in a different way - like taking the mountain to the people."
Sir Howard said last night that over two days in November 650 people took part in the project at the Taiwere Marae on the campus of the Waananga o Aotearoa.
"I will be presenting the results to the Maori caucus and seeking their support." The fear of going to the doctor or affordability issues were avoided by getting people to go to the marae-based project.
New Zealand blood helped people to find out what their blood type was and from there they were asked if they wanted to become blood donors.
Between 60 and 70 per cent said yes but only 20 per cent were eligible, Sir Howard said. The participants were given the chance to be tested for diabetes and given a body-mass-index test.
They were given information about asthma, sexually transmitted diseases, weight and rongoa (Maori medicine).
Sir Howard said that lakes District Health Board and Maori health providers were involved in the pilot.
Sir Howard is a friend of Mr Glenn, Labour's biggest single donor, and fronted in his place recently outside Mr Glenn's birthday celebration at Auckland's Viaduct Basin amid controversy over a loan to Labour.
Sir Howard told reporters there that Mr Glenn had offered him $1 million to stand as an independent candidate for Parliament.
