Palmer United Party senator Jacqui Lambie has backed calls for burkas to be banned in public, adding that she would not allow anyone wearing the traditional garment into her office for "public and staff safety reasons".
Photo: Jacque Lambie posted a photo of a person wearing a burka and firing a gun. (Facebook)
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Following yesterday's counter-terrorism raids in Sydney and Brisbane, Liberal senator Cory Bernardi renewed his call for a ban on burkas on his Twitter account, describing them as a "shroud of oppression and flag of fundamentalism" that are "not right" in Australia.
He later told ABC News that his comments were in line with his previous concerns about the burka, which he has described as "un-Australian" and "repressive".
A photo of a person wearing a burka and firing a gun was posted to Senator Lambie's Facebook page last night with a caption calling for the garment to be banned.
The image was created by the far-right Britain First political party.
In a statement, Senator Lambie said she backed Senator Bernardi's comments.
"Now we're at war with the sharia extremists and Australia has been placed on a heightened terrorism alert - we can't have anyone hiding their identity in public. It now becomes an important national security issue," Senator Lambie's statement said.
"I agree whole-heartedly with Senator Cory Bernardi's comments - and call for an immediate and complete ban on the wearing of burkas in public.
"The burkas are obviously designed by men who have an obsessive need to have extreme control and power over women.
"Why have the feminists turned a blind eye to this and other abhorrent cultural practices happening in Australia like female genital mutilation?"
Prime Minister Tony Abbott yesterday rejected Senator Bernardi's comments, while Opposition Leader Bill Shorten described them as "stupid" and ignorant".
