Braddon MP Brett Whiteley has echoed Tasmanian Senator Jacqui Lambie’s call for burqas to be banned, saying they were a “symbol of oppression”.
However Labor Franklin MP Julie Collins said his comments could be inflammatory.
Mr Whiteley said the burqa “may also pose a security threat” as he took a public stance different from Prime Minister Tony Abbott’s and Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull’s.
Today Mr Whiteley said he supported banning burqas in all public places including schools, universities, public transport and government offices.
“What people choose to wear in the privacy of their own home is purely a matter for them.”
He also echoed some of Senator Lambie’s views on sharia law, saying: “If people choose to live their lives according to a set of values that are at odds with Australian law there is no place for them in this country.
“No law other than Australian law should rule or guide our lives. If people have a deep desire to live by any other law they have a serious decision to make about where they live.
“Their allegiance is either to Australia, or against it.”
Ms Collins said Mr Whiteley’s comments had the potential to inflame tensions and damaged community harmony.
The Braddon Liberal’s comments came after Palmer United Party leader and mining magnate Clive Palmer distanced himself today from Senator Lambie’s stance on burqas and sharia law.
Mr Whiteley’s comments differ from those of Mr Turnbull, who previously said terrorists wanted to enrage the broader community and have them demonise the Muslim community, which would in turn cause more Muslims to support extremists.
Prime Minister Abbott dismissed a call to ban burqas, and said last week that Australians should not be concerned about what people wear.