Bodies returned to siege victims' families

The bodies of the two Sydney siege victims should be released to their families before Christmas. Source: AAP

HE says he is making it up as he goes along but grieving father Ken Johnson has emerged as an unlikely galvanising figure following the Sydney siege.

THE proud dad of slain shop manager Tori Johnson praised the nation's spirit and tolerance after returning to the growing mass of flowers at the Martin Place tribute site for the second day.

Mr Johnson met and spoke warmly with religious and community leaders on Thursday night."I think Australia is trying to pave a way for tolerance," he said in a nod to unstable gunman Man Haron Monis' attempts to link his attack with the Islamic State."We get on and that is what we want and we want to keep that flow going."I want solidarity," he told the Nine Network.He now has the heart rending task of organising a funeral before Christmas after Tori's body and that of mother of three Katrina Dawson, who was also killed in the siege, were returned to their families on Thursday evening.Authorities expect to complete examinations on Monis by Friday.While Mr Johnson tried to take on the role of healer, anger still burned for many as Prime Minister Tony Abbott admitted the deaths could have been prevented if authorities had been better prepared.The siege had been "a horrific wake-up call" said Mr Abbott, who has announced a review into why the self-styled Islam cleric was not under greater official scrutiny."This was an atrocity - it may well have been a preventable atrocity, and that's why this swift and thorough review is so important," Mr Abbott said.Monis was on bail over a raft of violent charges, including being an accessory to the murder of his former wife, when he took 17 people hostage on Monday morning.The 50-year-old had been on an ASIO watch-list in 2008 when he sent offensive letters to the families of dead Australian soldiers, but dropped off the list."Just like about everyone else from the premier down, I was incredulous and exasperated at this," Mr Abbott said."It was extraordinary he was on our streets."Senator David Leyonhjelm earlier on Thursday called for gun laws to be watered down, saying the siege wouldn't have happened if the hostages could have had concealed weapons."That nut case who held them all hostage wouldn't have known that they were armed and bad guys don't like to be shot back at," Senator Leyonhjelm told ABC radio."To turn an entire population into a nation of victims is just unforgivable."But former prime minister John Howard remains certain the laws he enacted after the Port Arthur massacre had made Australia safer."It's just an exercise in logic to understand that the more guns there are in the community, the greater the likelihood of mass murder," he told ABC radio.Senator Leyonhjelm quit the Liberal Party in disgust at the 1996 laws and has also been a member of the Shooters Party.With thousands pouring into Martin Place to pay their respects, the growing sea of flowers continued to take over the tribute site and forced the NSW government to ask for advice from overseas."The NSW government is in contact with authorities in London and Boston regarding flowers, tribute notes and condolence books to ensure we are operating on prior international best practice," NSW Premier Mike Baird said.The grass outside London's Kensington Palace was buried beneath flowers following Princess Diana's death in 1997.

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