Moment Australian MP Is Carried Away After Drinking Strong Micronesian Kava

Australian MP Michael McCormack was taken to hospital during a visit to Micronesia, after drinking a "whole bowl" of Kava, a powerful local drink.

Footage broadcast by Australian network 7NEWS showed McCormack, who served as Australia's deputy prime minister from 2018 to 2021, looking unwell while wearing local garlands at a gathering.

The National Party MP had his head in his hands, and was later helped by three men into a vehicle, which took him for medical treatment. Kava, which is made from the pepper plant, is well known for its sedating effects.

7NEWS reported McCormack was "offered a bowl of Kava but couldn't stomach the traditional drink."

The network added that he had been "recovering well" after being treated in hospital for dehydration.

McCormack shared the 22-second 7NEWS report, noting he had drunk the Kava, which is also known as Sakau.

McCormack wrote on Twitter: "Trouble is, I did stomach it! In a bid to show my respect to local traditions I drank the whole bowl of Sakau.

"Feeling much better now and it's been a great chance to connect with our Pacific family in FSM (Federated States of Micronesia)."

McCormack finished his tweet with the flags of Australia and Micronesia, a nation east of Indonesia made up of 607 islands, with a population of just over 100,000.

Earlier, the Australian politician had posted two photos of him meeting Micronesian President David Panuelo, along with other local dignitaries.

During his trip, McCormack also visited Vanuatu, a South Pacific island nation with over 300,000 inhabitants, meeting with Prime Minister Alatoi Ishmael Kalsakau.

Australia's concerns about security in the South Pacific region have soared since April 2022, when the Solomon Islands signed a new security agreement with China.

The deal granted some access to the islands for the Chinese military and police, unnerving the Australian and U.S. governments.

Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare later told U.K. newspaper The Guardian that China wouldn't be allowed to build a base in his country, adding the Chinese military would be called on only if there's a "gap" that Australia was unable to fill.

From August 2018 to May 2022, Australia was ruled by a coalition between the dominant center-right Liberal Party and the conservative National Party, which aims to represent the interests of farmers.

Speaking to ABC TV's Breakfast News earlier in the trip, McCormack said: "This is a Team Australia moment as many of these trips have been.

"The Government is building on what the coalition did when we were in power, and we want to make sure that the Pacific knows that it is a Team Australia moment, that we are all very much bipartisan to making sure the needs and wants of the Pacific are met."

After the May 2022 Australian election, Anthony Albanese, from the Labor Party, took over as his country's prime minister.

Newsweek has contacted Michael McCormack MP for comment.