Burqa ban unresolved

The political stand-off between Prime Minister Tony Abbott and presiding officers Bronwyn Bishop and Stephen Parry over their decision to seat women wearing burqas or niqabs away from the public in a glassed off area of the parliamentary chambers remains unresolved, just days before federal parliament is due to resume.

Two weeks ago Ms Bishop, the Speaker of the lower house and Senator Parry, the Senate president, announced their interim move which came amid calls for a burqa ban from the Coalition backbench and while a review of parliamentary security is under way.

The decision drew a storm of protest and Mr Abbott, who has said he finds the burqa “confronting”, moved to effectively kill off the presiding officers’ plan just hours later when he made it known he would ask them to reconsider the move.

Since then Ms Bishop has been out of the country as part a parliamentary delegation and to campaign for the presidency of the Inter-Parliamentary Union.

A spokeswoman for the Prime Minister said a decision on whether to rescind the plan to segregate women wearing burqas and niqabs was a matter for the presiding officers. Senator Parry could not be contacted for comment.

Labor wrote to the Speaker the day the ban was announced for an explanation on the ban, but says it has not received any response.

The Member for Opposition Business Tony Burke asked the Speaker to “explain the logic” of the interim order before Parliament resumes on Monday.

See more on this Topic