Australian Conservatives leader calls to sever ties with Qatar‏

Australia is being urged to ban Qatar Airways and sever economic ties with the country, which has been accused of sponsoring terrorism in the Middle East.

Australian Conservatives leader Cory Bernardi said it was time for the Federal Government to "get tough" and force Qatar to divest itself of its "significant" Australian interests and assets, ABC News reported .

His call comes a week after Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt implemented a blockade on Qatar, cutting all diplomatic and economic ties.

Senator Bernardi said the fact Qatar was a "state sponsor of terrorism" had not only been acknowledged by its neighbours but also by the Clinton Foundation in the United States.

He said the Qatari company Hassad Australia owned 300,000 hectares of "prime agricultural land" which it should be forced to sell.

"Why would we allow Qatar to protect its food security when it's undermining our national security?" he asked.

"It is only appropriate that we ask them not to invest in our country until they get their own house in order."

Senator Bernardi said Qatar Airways should be banned from Australian air space and the country prevented from sponsoring any Australian sports teams.

"It's time for us to get tough on protecting our national interest," he said.

"That means ceasing to turn a blind eye to the activities of nations undermining our national interest and sponsoring our enemies."

Alyaman Alaraby quoted the daily as saying that "Senator Bernardi's South Australian counterpart Robert Brokenshire has written to Foreign Minister Julie Bishop urging her to take action on the issue, arguing the country is using Australian assets to create wealth which could then allegedly fund terrorist activities."