The government's spokeswoman on Multicultural Affairs says the burqa debate has become a "distraction" from the real debate we should be having on the terror threat, but has also lamented that Muslim women are being targeted over what they wear.
While not commenting directly on a push by some Coalition backbenchers to ban the face-covering garment in Parliament House, secretary for Multicultural Affairs Concetta Fierravanti-Wells told Fairfax Media that "we are a free society and it is not the business of government to tell people what they should and should not wear".
Senator Fierravanti-Wells said while "identification can be important for all Australians" in "heightened security environments" it is "unfortunate" that the debate about "what women wear" has become a "distraction" from the real issue of how best to protect ourselves from potential terror threats.
And the senator defended Islamic women against recent calls to have the burqa banned in public places.
"It is always regrettable that women, especially Muslim women, are criticised or attacked for what they choose to wear," she said.
The Senator is the second senior government figure to distance themselves from the campaign against burqas.
Speaking at the National Press Club, Attorney-General George Brandis said "there could be no greater error than for Australians to demonise our fellow Islamic citizens".
"I have no concerns with Muslims wearing the burqa and I don't have a preference either because frankly it's none of his business," he said. But senator Brandis backed identification checks for security reasons.
The Speaker of Federal Parliament and the Senate President are considering a request made by Liberal senator Cory Bernardi to have the burqa banned in Federal Parliament on security grounds.
Prime Minister Tony Abbott appeared to back the idea at a media conference on Wednesday, following Fairfax Media's revelations that his powerful chief of staff, Peta Credlin, also supported a ban on security grounds.
Mr Abbott said while he was not aware of anyone attempting to enter Parliament wearing a burqa, visitors needed to be "identifiable" in secure buildings such as Parliament. Liberal senator Cory Bernardi says his intervention was prompted by seeing several veiled individuals in Parliament three years ago.
Labor's Alannah MacTiernan said the campaign to ban the burqa from the building was a "pathetic attempt to whip up division" based on a "concocted problem" with the sole intent of "raising the temperature on an already difficult issue".
She said she had not once seen a burqa in Parliament House since her election in 2013, even when attending Islamic events.
