Nicknamed the 'burqa bill' in the halls of parliament, independent MP Peter Wellington's Identification Laws amendment bill was voted down by both Labor and LNP government MPs in a rare show of accord overnight.

The Nicklin MP put the private member's bill forward in August last year with the aim that, in appropriate circumstances, a "police officer, a corrective services or similar officer, a lawyer, a justice of the peace or a commissioner for declaration" could "lawfully" demand a person remove any face coverings so they could be identified.

The Legal Affairs parliamentary committee recommended against passing the proposed legislation, which has been the fate of every non-government bill laid out for committee scrutiny.

But Mr Wellington had the support of MPs from the Palmer United Party and Katter's Australian Party on Wednesday night, and they weren't afraid to show it.

"...This is what the people are telling me and likewise, this is about security," KAP MP Shane Knuth said.