Hostage Crisis in Australia

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

There is an awful, awful lot of information that we don't have yet, and probably won't until this ends.

The number of hostages being held is ranging from 13 to 50, number of hostage-takers from 1-3... also suggestions that this was an 'accidental siege' ... knowing that area well and having gone to that cafe a number of times, it wouldn't shock me if the number of those held is somewhere toward the higher end.

I've been checking-in with friends who work in the area and everyone is either in lock-down in their offices or have been evacuated away from the scene.

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

It does seem pretty noteworthy that we haven't heard anything from the hostage-takers yet even despite their central location.  They're across the street from a news station and still haven't said anything.

Which is part of the reason why they think it might have been accidental, the suggestions being they might have been planning something publicly in Martin Place itself but were spotted or spooked and ran into the cafe and have holed themselves up.

But again... no one knows.

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

Also not noting the US Consulate which was two blocks away...

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

The guy was a nutcase - sadly, two people were killed, more injured...

Just terrible.

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

It turns out, I have met one of the victims at a mutual friend's birthday parties over the years. I knew the face was familiar but not until one of my friends said something on Facebook that it twigged. Tori was a friendly and funny guy, it doesn't surprise me at all that he would do what he did in those final moments.

It obviously feels very real, it is my hometown and a place I know very well and actually walked past the day before. But it makes me feel sick and it makes it make even more surreal.

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

Also, while obviously no sane person supports violence or discrimination against random Muslims, it is really bizarre that a Muslims extremists kills a bunch of people and one of the first major reactions among the general public is to start a hashtag about how much everybody loves Muslims.

People didn't hashtag #illstillhavesexwithmen after Elliot Rodgers.

What a total misunderstanding of the purpose of the hashtag campaign.