Opposition Leader Peter Dutton has been branded a “sook” as he renewed his attacks on the government over visas for Palestinians fleeing war-ravaged Gaza.

On Monday, Dutton attempted to move a motion in the House of Representatives requiring Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to give a detailed explanation of the visa processing applied to Palestinians wanting to come to Australia.

It sparked a fiery response from Immigration Minister Tony Burke, who accused the opposition of playing games with Australia’s national security.

“We’ve got used to the fact that they’ll throw a tantrum, and if they can’t be in charge of housing policy, they’ll try to stop houses from being built,” he said.

“We’ve got used to the fact that, on policy after policy issue, they’ll vote with the Greens because they can’t be in charge. They’ll get their bat and ball in the air and go away.

“But I never thought they’d play that game on national security. I never thought they’d play that game on our ASIO systems.”

Burke said no country’s security organisations would publicly disclose all their criteria.

“In what universe do they do that? And yet the Leader of the Opposition is calling for that to happen now,” he said.

“The Leader of the Opposition has moved this motion today because the man is irresponsible and a sook and the country doesn’t like either … People have never put up with someone who’s a sook.”

Labor used its numbers in the lower house to defeat the motion.

The uproar followed Dutton’s call last week for people leaving Gaza to be blocked from arriving in Australia until security vetting processes were tightened, claiming terrorist sympathisers could be let into the country.

His comments were widely condemned by Muslim and Palestinian advocacy groups.

It also sparked a row with independent MP Zali Steggall that the calls were “racist”, even as Dutton was reported to be considering legal action.

Steggall, who holds the Sydney seat of Warringah, was heckled in Parliament last week during a debate, before telling the opposition benches to “stop being racist”.

Asked about reports Dutton was seeking legal advice, Steggall doubled down.

“I would view that as again, true and tried part of the playbook of Mr Dutton of bullying and intimidating people from calling out his policy and behaviour,” she told ABC radio on Monday.

“I stand by [my view that] this policy proposal is inherently racist, and it’s designed to foster fear and hatred of a minority group.”

The crossbench MP said that for “the sake of our social cohesion”, it needed to be called out.

Albanese has also again labelled Dutton “deeply divisive”.

“I was astounded that last week [Dutton made the call] when we welcomed home our Olympians, a moment of national unity that once again showed that there’s no moment too big for him to show how small he is,” he said.

Albanese said people weren’t able to leave Gaza, after the Rafah crossing was closed by Israeli authorities.

Opposition foreign spokesman Simon Birmingham rejected claims that Dutton was trying to whip up fear.

“What we’re seeing from the Prime Minister and some of the teals like Zali Steggall – who all promised some sort of kinder, gentler politics – that they are really quite happy to play the man rather than the ball,” he told ABC radio.

“They are happy to go on personal attacks against Peter Dutton rather than focus on the policy debate here.”

Birmingham said the Coalition believed the strongest possible screening should be applied to ensure people resettling in Australia weren’t terrorist sympathisers.

“Our view is that all should have full checking out of a situation in Gaza that is incredibly complex, that is a tragedy in terms of the loss of life that is occurring, but where also research indicates that there is significant community-wide support for Hamas,” he said.

Department of Home Affairs figures showed 7100 visas from Palestine had been rejected. Of the 2922 people approved, 1300 had arrived safely in Australia.

More than 40,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel’s bombing campaigns and ground offensives, according to the Hamas-controlled local health ministry.

-with AAP