Should the Sydney siege hostages get bravery awards? This politician says no.

A debate is raging over whether the hostages of the Sydney siege in December should receive bravery awards — and one outspoken Australian politician has declared they should not.

Sixteen hostages were held in the Lindt Chocolat Cafe on Sydney’s Martin Place during the siege, which began on the morning of December 15 and ended in the early hours of December 16.

On the afternoon of December 15, the first break occurred in two parts where five hostages — three men and then two women — escaped.

The final break occured at 2.15 on the morning of December 16, when a group of hostages — six women and three men — ran out of the cafe.

MP Fred Nile sparked controversy speaking on Fairfax Radio 2UE on Tuesday, saying the men who escaped from Lindt Cafe shouldn’t receive bravery awards and could have done more to “protect the women”.

He said he believes Katrina Dawson and Tori Johnson, the two victims of the Siege, deserve to receive the award — but that the surviving hostages do not.

“Maybe they could have done something more to protect the women, but I guess when you’re with a dangerous Islamic terrorist with a shotgun, you’re not thinking about protocol, you’re thinking about how to save your own life,” he said.

“Normally bravery awards are given for an act of bravery – that somebody actually does something. They haven’t done anything,” he added.

The MP also argued escaping from the hostage scenario endangered the lives of the others held captive.

Everything you need to know about the Sydney Siege.

“Possibly, because the terrorist said because they had left he was going to shoot the remaining hostages,” Mr Nile said.

“And that’s what happened in the hostage situation in Paris, where four of the hostages were shot.”

Mr Nile’s divisive comments came after Prime Minister Tony Abbott wrote a letter  to Governor-General Sir Peter Cosgrove earlier this week pushing for support of honouring the victims, surviving hostages and emergency services, with bravery awards, according to The Sydney Morning Herald.

You may also be interested in reading: These are the brave hostages of the Sydney Siege

MP Fred Nile, leader of the Christian Democratic Party of Australia, added on air that his comments were not intended to discount the trauma of the hostages.

But that he felt awarding them awards would ‘cheapen’ the meaning behind the awards, which he says are for “those who risk their lives”.

“They should get recognition for what they suffered as hostages but I don’t think they should get bravery awards,” Mr Nile said.

“The bravery awards are actually medals, and usually they’re pretty strict, and if you devalue them they’re actually taking it away from the people who actually did perform acts of bravery and did deserve a bravery award.”

His comments drew immediate criticism on social media, with some commentators calling his comments “disgusting”.

 What do you think of Fred Nile’s comments?