The Sauce: Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s staff laid up after trip to Fiji

Work trips to Fiji sound like a pretty good deal, but not for the delegation accompanying PM Scott Morrison to the Pacific nation recently, with several of them struck down with a highly unpleasant stomach bug.

• PM downplay’s Fiji’s rebuke on climate change
• Morrison seeks to soothe Fijian tensions

Scott Morrison pulled out of a press conference on Thursday due to a lingering bug he just can’t shake.

But it was a different lurgy that struck down several members of the Prime Minister’s staff, security guards and media following a recent trip to Fiji.

Scott Morrison, with Fijian PM Frank Bainimarama, was OK during his recent trip to Fiji but some of his staff weren’t so lucky. Picture: AAP.

Fingers are being pointed at the local drink kava, which was offered to guests travelling with the Prime Minister. Others are blaming a lukewarm meat dish which had been sitting in the Pacific sun before being served as lunch.

“I ate some veggie samosas and was encouraged to eat meat … I looked at it and thought ‘how sick can I get if I have one piece?’,” one member of the travelling party said. “I had one piece.”

After a week of antibiotics and ensuring a toilet was never far away the political delegation has recovered.

But the bug didn’t discriminate, with the secretary of the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet, Martin Parkinson, and an AFP officer struck down for days.

IT’S ME … TONY

It’s not every day that a former prime minister rings, so residents in the seat of Warringah could be forgiven for thinking they were picking up the phone to a Tony Abbott-sounding robo-call.

Tony Abbott has been calling local constituents as part of his re-election campaign. Picture: Gary Ramage

However The Sauce can confirm Abbott has joined his volunteers in dialling up local constituents as part of his re-election campaign.

“It takes about 30 seconds for him to convince them that it’s actually him,” a volunteer said.

The Warringah MP, who began campaigning months ago, has had almost 100 volunteers handing out brochures at train stations and bus stops.

His greatest threat is former Olympian Zali Steggall, although the barrister will have to overcome an 11 per cent margin to claim the blue-ribbon seat.

I’M GOING BUSH … TO BANKSTOWN

It’s one thing to pull out of an event but another thing all together to declare it’s because you need to head to “regional NSW” — only to pop up in Bankstown.

Opposition Leader Michael Daley cancelled a planned appearance at a business breakfast. Picture: AAP

According to the Riverside Business Chamber, that’s exactly what happened on Wednesday when Labor leader Michael Daley suddenly cancelled his planned appearance at a Business Breakfast.

“I was extremely disappointed when I found out he was in Bankstown,” Chamber president Tony Abboud said. “His staff told us that he was cancelling because he had to go to regional NSW.

“Macquarie Park is the business commercial hub of Australia, but I guess Bankstown is more important to him politically.

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“When he cancelled, his staff didn’t ask for an alternate date and now we don’t have any spots for him anyway as the Premier is having an event and we also have a meet-the-candidates event.”

Mr Abboud said Mr Daley’s staff offered up “the state opposition treasurer” Ryan Park as a replacement but sponsors were not happy, given “no one knows him”.

Instead, the chamber cancelled the event and the 80 prospective attendees were given a full refund.

News clips reveal Mr Daley joined Police Commissioner Mick Fuller, Police Minister Troy Grant and the NSW Police Association at a meeting at Bankstown Sports Club.

NATIONALS WHO?

Bathurst MP Paul Toole has ditched his party — literally.

Unlike the last state election, Mr Toole’s car, posters and print advertisement fail to make any mention of The Nationals — only the party green and gold colours suggest any affiliation.

Is the party on the nose in the electorate?

HAPPY GHOST

He was missing in action during the Wentworth by-election but former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull is back — hitting the hustings in Coogee on Saturday ahead of next month’s state election.

Malcolm Turnbull (right) and daughter Daisy joined Bruce Notley-Smith on the hustings at Coogee. Picture: Instagram

Turnbull and his daughter Daisy posed for a photo while campaigning with Coogee state Liberal MP (and former Turnbull staffer) Bruce Notley-Smith, who is clinging to his marginal Sydney seat.

BEER BUDDIES

Discharged bankrupt and one-time mining tycoon Nathan Tinkler was spotted having a beer with controversial Senator Fraser Anning in Brisbane on Friday.

The Sauce wonders whether Tinkler, once a generous donor to the Liberal Party, might be keen to help Anning in the lead-up to polling day.

Goodness knows he needs it.

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