Tony Abbott says police should be given shoot to kill powers and work more closely with the military when it comes to terrorism.
The former prime minister was responding to NSW coroner Michael Barnes' report on the 2014 Sydney Lindt cafe siege.
"We do need to change our protocols for dealing with terrorist sieges," Mr Abbott told 2GB radio on Wednesday.
"Terrorists don't expect to get out alive and they don't care who they kill.
"We do need to give police a shoot-to-kill power where they reasonably think they're in a terrorist situation and we do need to ensure ... there is close cooperation, without muddying the lines of command, between the military and the police."
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He said the gunman Man Haron Monis had unfortunately received the "kid glove treatment".
Mr Abbott expressed his sympathies to the families of the two hostages who died.
"Their ordeal will never end," he said.
