Abbott had been wanting an extended visit and overnight stay and was dealing with Defence Dept but was having delays (and problem) getting approval. He was avoiding going through the gov because last time Turnbull wanted to go they strung him out for 3 months.
Gillard then offered him a spot with her but he didn't want to go "on her coat tails" preferring to wait for his own visit approval. His big mistake when she then played politics with it (she's good at that) was to throw out the line about jet lag.
Almost as big a boo boo as her saying that she'd prefer to be in a school watching children read than be in Brussels with the other government leaders and their foreign ministers.. Only one foreign minister absent.
