Stop wearing burkas, says Prime Minister TOny Abbott

Prime Minister Tony Abbott has appeared to back a ban on the burqa being worn in Parliament House but at the same time said no-one has ever sought to enter the building "so attired".

But that claim appears to have been directly contradicted by one of Mr Abbott's senators who has spearheaded the campaign to have the controversial Islamic garment banned in Parliament. Liberal senator Cory Bernardi says his intervention was sparked by seeing the face-covering veil being worn inside the building some years ago.

A final decision on a burqa ban in Parliament House could be made within a week, after Speaker Bronwyn Bishop asked ASIO and the federal police for an independent security assessment of the risks or otherwise of full facial coverings.

The Prime Minister said on Wednesday he wished that the burqa wasn't worn at all but said it was the choice of women to do so.

"Now I've said before I find it a fairly confronting form of attire and frankly I wish it weren't worn," he said

[link to www.smh.com.au]