In Queensland a cabbie was fined $100 for the wrong socks.

http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,20797,25792223-5013016,00.html

You wouldn't get away with wearing anything that looks like a Klansman's gown and hood - causing offence.

It is not so difficult to argue that the burqa causes offence and affront. There is no political will to do it.

If you apply the logic (?!) of the The Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission it is possible to ban anything, because the definition is always in the eye of the beholder, but only if the beholder comes from a 'disadvantaged group' (which is also a subjective definition).

With the political correctness that is prevalent in Australia it would be easier to ban boardies and thongs at Bondi than someone wearing a burqa while driving a school bus.

Cornflower

Nah, too dangerous driving a bus while wearing burqa - no peripheral vision. Other things you couldn't do while wearing a burqa would be riding motorbikes - imagine catching the fabric in the wheels, nasty result. The same for bicycles. What about skateboarding, that would be very tricky? As for swimming, well the wearer would just drown wouldn't they? Abseiling? The first burqa wearer scaling Mount Everest? You couldn't even run for a train without risking a fall.

Also, I am not permitted to wear my motorcycle helmet into places like banks, and aren't hoodies banned as well? There is a definite argument against the burqa for the same reasons. Perhaps the compromise could be on the circumstances where the burqa may be banned - where identification and safety are crucial.

Also, I really don't think that Australia is all that PC we can't apply common sense.

Cheers

Hi Blair.

<< ""please cite the laws that you think exist that "legislate what people can and cannot wear""
Adults, in Australia, with some exceptions eg theatre are not allowed by law to wear NOTHING in public. >>

Are you being deliberately obtuse? My point is that Australian law currently requires adults to wear some form of clothing in most public places, but doesn't specify what - as long as the naughty bits (according to Christians) are concealed.

As far as I'm aware, it's quite legal to walk down the street wearing a Darth Vader costume or a Ku Klux Klan outfit. Sure, you'd be likely to attract derision and you wouldn't be allowed into a bank, but I don't think there's any laws against it.

From my perspective, the burqa is much the same. I don't see any more reason to make it illegal than for a Darth Vader costume, Ku Klux Klan outfit or a gorilla suit. People who wear them in public places look silly, and other people invariably let them know that.

There are some interesting points being raised here.

Could you for example walk up Glenhuntly Road Melbourne dressed as an SS officer? I would laugh at such a ridiculous figure but I'm not sure the rest of Caulfield would share my merriment.

I wouldn't give much for my chances if I tried walking in certain parts of Melbourne dressed as Pol Pot.

My guess is that "Pol Pot" and the "SS officer" would be prosecuted under Victoria's notorious Racial and Religious Tolerance (sic) Act.

Wear the Ku Klux Klan outfit in public if you wish but if you cannot prove you are on the way to a fancy dress party or have some other innocent excuse, you may find yourself charged with offensive conduct or something similar.

What is 'offensive' is usually considered from the point of view of the reasonable person. A 'mankini' in some situations, eg outside a school would soon see an arrest.

A burqa is offensive to some people and with some justification and any excesses by conservative mosques/spokesmen could swell the (anti-) numbers very quickly.

Here's hoping that it is only a trend that will wither away.

Stevenlmeyer,
“walk up Glenhuntly Road Melbourne dressed as an SS officer? I would laugh at such a ridiculous figure but I'm not sure the rest of Caulfield would share my merriment”

Better still, try wearing SS or KKK attire if you’re a member of a major corporation or academia . LOL (you might remember the kerfuffle over Prince Harry wearing “a German desert uniform and a swastika armband”– to a party.)

An angle that I find intriguing is that many of the women spearheading this, in the West, are far from the downtrodden/wallflower types. I remember the Sydney school girl who tried the gag: banning the hijab at a PUBLIC school violates my civil liberties – and won, was intending to go on to tertiary studies.& have a professional career.