Addressing the House of Representatives, Mr Abbott spoke on the close ties between Australia and Canada, who also have citizens believed to be fighting with ISIS overseas.
“Today more than ever, Australians and Canadians are family,” he said.
“… I regard Stephen Harper, their Prime Minister, as a friend and almost a brother.”
His comments come just hours after a gunman shot and killed a soldier at the Ottowa War Memorial, the second fatal attack on a Canadian solider in three days.
The attacker, identified in the Canadian media as 32-year-old Michael Zehaf-Bibeau, also attacked the nearby Canadian Parliament building.
Mr Abbott said Australia felt Canada’s “shock, pain and anger”.
“An attack on their parliament is an affront to his parliament too,” he said.
“Today we stand shoulder to shoulder with our Canadians comrades.
“We stand for freedom.”
Opposition Leader Bill Shorten also addressed the parliament on the attack, describing (the man killed) as a “patriot, proud to serve his country”.
“In a broader sense, all Australians will feel affected by today,” he said.
“Australia and Canada share so much… Because of all we share, it is only natural that the two buildings attacked in Canada carry an instant feeling of the familiar.”
Mr Shorten also emphasised the government’s bi-partisan approach to fighting terrorism, stating that “there is already enough hate in the world”.
Federal Parliament has also boosted its security following the fatal attack, with additional heavily-armed police stationed around Parliament House.
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