Defence chief offers Canada condolences

Australian defence force chief Mark Binskin has urged ADF members not to be complacent about personal security following the murder of two Canadian soldiers.

A 32-year-old gunman who had been on a terrorism watch list killed a soldier guarding an Ottawa war memorial before storming into the halls of parliament on Wednesday morning (Ottawa time).

The attack came just days after a man allegedly inspired by radical Muslim beliefs rammed his car against two Canadian soldiers, one of whom died.

Air Chief Marshal Binskin said he had offered his condolences to his Canadian counterpart, General Tom Lawson.

"I understand their deaths have caused some anxiety for our own Defence members and their families," he said in a Facebook message.

"Please be assured that Defence and other Australian security agencies are actively monitoring developments in Canada and more broadly around the world."

Air Chief Marshal Binskin is working with state and federal police to monitor activity at and near Defence facilities in Australia.

"This is not the time for alarm but we should not be complacent about our personal safety," he said.

"We should all remain vigilant."