Prime Minister Tony Abbott this week wrote to Governor-General Sir Peter Cosgrove to say Mr Johnson and Mrs Dawson should be honoured with posthumous bravery awards, and that "proper consideration" should be given to the actions of others involved, including other hostages and police. Controversial comments: Fred Nile. Credit:Ryan Osland "There may well be other significant acts by surviving hostages, police and others involved that are worthy of recognition," he wrote. However, Mr Nile told Fairfax radio station 2UE on Tuesday: "Obviously they [the hostages who fled] were wanting to escape and save their lives, but normally bravery awards are given for an act of bravery, that somebody actually does something, and they haven't done anything. "But I think the awards, as Tony Abbott suggested, for the two hostages that died, I think they certainly should be given the awards."

A number of male and female hostages were filmed running from the Lindt cafe during the siege, which began on December 15, but Mr Nile directed his comments specifically at the men who escaped. Hostages flee from the Lindt cafe. Credit:Andrew Meares At the weekend, Mr Nile tweeted that the male hostages had "fled leaving women behind". Mr Nile told 2UE that he believed the male hostages who fled may have put at risk the lives of the other people being held captive inside the cafe.

Deserve recognition: Katrina Dawson and Tori Johnson died in the the siege at the Lindt Cafe. "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." He said he was not suggesting the actions of those who fled were cowardly. "I just don't think it's something that should be rewarded with a bravery award," he said.

"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. "It was certainly traumatic, there's no doubt about that." He suggested those people who escaped could be given community recognition for the ordeal they endured. A newspaper award would be appropriate recognition, he said. "But 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," he said. "I don't think we should do anything that cheapens those bravery awards for people who have risked their lives."