Sydney siege: Fred Nile says only man inside Lindt Cafe was gunman Man Monis
- by:DAVID CAMPBELL
- From:The Daily Telegraph
- January 15, 201510:00AM
CONTROVERSIAL NSW MP Fred Nile has backtracked on comments this morning that the only man inside the Lindt Cafe siege at Martin Place was the man holding the gun, now saying he ‘misspoke’ and ‘the terrorist was a coward’.
Earlier, the Christian Democratic Party leader sparked outrage on Channel 7’s Sunrise by saying bravery awards were for people who put themselves in danger to help others, not those who found themselves in dangerous situations.
Controversial ... Fred Nile has spoken out about bravery awards for Sydney siege hostages again.Source: News Limited
The Martin Place siege began on December 15 when Man Monis took 18 people hostage about 10am. It ended 16 hours later with three people dead and others injured.
“Usually men try to protect the women but it looks like the men were trying to protect their own skins,” Mr Nile said on Sunrise this morning.
“Where were the men?
“The only man really there was the man with the gun.”
Those comments followed a radio interview on Tuesday where Mr Nile said male hostages who fled the fatal Sydney siege shouldn’t receive bravery awards.
The argumentative figure believes Katrina Dawson and Tori Johnson, who were both killed along with gunman Man HaronMonis in the 16-hour siege, should receive the awards.
But the men who escaped from the Lindt Cafe don’t.
“They should get recognition for what they suffered as hostages but I don’t think they should get bravery awards,” Mr Nile told Fairfax Radio.
“Maybe they could have done something more to protect the women.
“Normally bravery awards are given for an act of bravery — that somebody actually does something. They haven’t done anything.”
Giving bravery awards to those male hostages who fled would lessen the worth of the medal, Mr Nile added.
Mr Nile backed down this morning, telling the Daily Mail he certainly wasn’t complimenting Man Monis and that the siege gunman was just a coward hiding behind a gun.
Prime Minister Tony Abbott earlier this week requested Governor-General Sir Peter Cosgrove support a push to honour the victims, surviving hostages and emergency services with bravery awards.
Mrs Dawson and Mr Johnson were both killed by gunfire on December 16 when the siege reached its end.
Mr Johnson’s execution by Monis was what sparked police into storming the building after 2am.
Mrs Dawson and Monis were both killed in the gunfight.