NSW Premier Mike Baird says the deadly Sydney Lindt Cafe siege will haunt him the rest of his life, after being hit with a barrage of questions about the handling of the stand-off.
Mr Baird said the response to the siege deserved full scrutiny. But he hit out at Labor for asking questions apparently critical of NSW Police Deputy Commissioner Cath Burn, saying she did everything she could to get everybody out alive.
"And you know what? The tragedy was we didn't. I include myself in that. We collectively didn't, and that is something that's going to haunt me for the rest of my life," Mr Baird told parliament during question time on Wednesday.
The premier and his deputy Troy Grant were also grilled over the state's specialist police negotiations truck, which was written off in 2011 and still hasn't been replaced.
Opposition Leader Luke Foley said more than 18 months had passed since the deadly Martin Place siege, when officers were forced to work from a four-wheel drive before operating out of a cramped office at a nearby NSW Leagues Club because their high-tech truck was off the road.
Officers had been left in the lurch to prepare for possible terror attacks as they waited until October for the vehicle to be replaced, Mr Foley said.
Messrs Baird and Grant both told parliament it was Police Commissioner Andrew Scipione's responsibility to make decisions about equipment with money given to the force by the government.
"There are operational requirements that are undertaken by the police, both in terms of resourcing and in terms of capital, and clearly that is the right thing to do for them to take those decisions as required," Mr Baird said.
But Mr Foley said the pair were attempting to shunt the blame and leaving everything to chance.
"All we can do is hope and pray there won't be another incident that requires the use of the truck or the police are going to be in trouble," Mr Foley said.
