“Giving police the power to ask a driver to remove their face covering or veil is a reasonable response to a legitimate public concern,” Civil Liberties Australia director and media spokesperson, Tim Vines, said.
“Provided police are sensitive to the religious or cultural views of the individual, the power merely ensures all people are treated equally by the law. For example, if police request a female driver remove their hijab or niqab, they should ensure a female police officer is present.”
Civil Liberties Australia remains opposed to attempts in some Australian states and overseas to ban ‘face coverings’ (often code for the burqa or niqab) in public places.
“The ACT law is limited and reasonable in the circumstances. However it should not be seen as a green light to ban veils on spurious ‘security’ grounds.”
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2011-12-06/act-police-powers-head-coverings/3714652