DESPITE days of backlash, Tony Abbott has repeated his claim that he finds the burqa confronting and he wishes people didn’t wear it.

But responding to what he described as recent “agitation”, the Prime Minister insists “it’s not the business of Government to tell people what they should and shouldn’t wear”.

Mr Abbott also publicly confirmed he asked the Speaker to “re-think” her decision to make people with face coverings watch Parliamentary proceedings from inside glass-enclosed galleries.

“My understanding is that it was an interim decision, that it would be looked at again in the light of security advice that will come in coming days,” he told reporters.

“I’m sure that the matter will be fully resolved before the Parliament comes back in a fortnight.”

The Prime Minister said he only became aware of the change last night, because he regrettably “didn’t have a chance” to read a piece of paper given to him at the end of Question Time.

media_camera Confronting ... Prime Minister Tony Abbott says he wishes the burqa was not worn in Australia.

When asked whether his office was informed ahead of the announcement by the Department of Parliamentary Services, Mr Abbott said he “honestly” didn’t know.

“I don’t honestly think it matters. The important thing is that this matter is going to be further considered.”

“In public areas of this building, people ought to be allowed to wear what they want,” he said.

“In secure areas of this building, obviously people need to be identifiable and that normally includes having your face visible.”

Bill Shorten said “people shouldn’t be segregated to attend Parliament”.

“This divisive debate was allowed to drag on for too long because of the Prime Minister’s silence. He is following his party instead of leading it.”

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Earlier in the week, Mr Abbott said he found burqas confronting and wished they weren’t worn.

“Frankly, I wish it was not worn but we are a free country, we are a free society and it is not the business of Government to tell people what they should and shouldn’t wear,” Mr Abbott said.

media_camera Wise ... Malcolm Turnbull says he doesn’t want the burqa debate to be turned into a coded attack on the Muslim community.

Malcolm Turnbull this morning described Mr Abbott’s intervention as “wise”.

The Communications Minister said he’d only seen one woman wearing the full face-covering in the public gallery during his 10 years in Parliament.

“We don’t want to have debates like this being turned into a coded attack on the Muslim community,” he added on Channel Nine’s Today Show.

“What Australians wear is a matter for them and I don’t express a view about other people’s choice of clothing.”

But government backbencher George Christensen, who like Cory Bernadi and Jacqui Lambie has been campaigning for a total ban in the building, is not giving up on his push.

For lovers of women's faces being covered, don't get ur hopes up on a backdown. Presiding Officers' rulings aren't subject to any PM veto. — George Christensen (@GChristensenMP) October 2, 2014

“Both Stephen Parry and Bronwyn Bishop aren’t subject to prime ministerial veto or approval, their decisions are their decisions,” he told ABC TV.

Former Speaker Anna Burke questioned where the security risk is.

“We were all a bit stunned to be quite honest,” she told ABC radio this morning.

The now Labor MP insisted people are screened entering the building.

“You’re being screened for a knife, you’re being screened for a gun. You’re not being screened for your face.”

Ms Burke said the “only trouble they can cause is to stand up and yell out”.

“People do that now, very rarely … with or without a burqa, they’re then removed from the gallery.

media_camera Worried ... Anna Burke says she hadn’t seen anyone wearing a burqa in her 16 years in Parliament. Picture: Smith Kym

While she disagreed with the ban, Ms Burke also raised concerns about Mr Abbott’s bid to try and kill off the decision.

“That actually makes it even more worrying that the Prime Minister would weigh in and the Presiding Officers would be at the behest of the Prime Minister.

“The Prime Minister doesn’t run the building.”

Scott Morrison said it’s important to focus on what unites Australians “and not get distracted by things that frankly are just distractions”.

“The government has really serious issues to deal with today and frankly that’s not one of them,” the Immigation Minister said when asked for this thoughts on the burqa ban.

Clive Palmer this morning admitted he hadn’t yet looked at the issue of banning the burqa in Parliament House.

But when asked if he was confronted by women wearing the garment, the PUP leader said “it’s hard to be confronted by women really”.

“They’re friendly people.”

The statement issued by the Department of Parliamentary Services yesterday said the new security modifications were designed to enhance and strengthen existing security arrangements at Parliament House.

Just found out Muslim women wearing facial coverings are to be relegated to part of parliament reserved for rowdy school kids. Disgraceful — Christine Milne (@senatormilne) October 2, 2014

The Presiding Officers have sought advice from security agencies about “screening policies relating to identity coverings”, the release said.

“Whilst these policies are under review, and given the large number of visitors to Parliament House, it is prudent to implement an additional lawyer of security controls.”

The new measures follow an earlier decision to lock down the Ministerial wing of Parliament House and to scrap the use of unaccompanied passes in the building.

media_camera Not happy ... Greens leader Christine Milne described the new rules as “disgraceful”.

On the back of the announcement, Greens Senator Richard Di Natale said “we’re at risk of creating some sort of Muslim apartheid.”

He argued the debate is creating an underclass of Australians, with Muslim women now “under attack”.

“Now’s the time to try and put a lid on this, to show some leadership, to demonstrate this isn’t a real threat.”

It’s a “non-existent problem,” Senator Di Natale said.

Independent MP Andrew Wilkie joined those critical of the new rule.

“The decision by the Government to isolate, in their own rooms, burqa-wearers observing the Parliament has no security merit at all,” he said in a statement.

“The segregation of one group of people like this is nothing more than religious apartheid and deeply wrong.”

Originally published as PM: Burqa is none of our business