The Prime Minister’s comparison of atrocities committed by the Islamic State to the Nazis is ‘nonsensical’, 3AW Drive host Tom Elliott said.

Tony Abbott has come under fire for suggesting the terror group was in some ways worse than the Nazis on 2GB Radio.

‘I mean the latest atrocity apparently four young men being strung up and burnt alive, the Nazis did terrible evil but they had a sufficient sense of shame to try to hide it,’ Mr Abbott said.

‘These people boast about their evil, this is the extraordinary thing.’

But Tom Elliott said the Prime Minister’s comments were ridiculous.

‘To say Islamic State is more dangerous than Germany back then is a nonsensical argument,’ he said.

‘What is going on here is two things. For whatever reason, Tony Abbott wants to send Australian forces into Syria.

‘Secondly he wants to sound tough on national security.

‘To sit there and make claims that the Islamic State is the equal of Nazi Germany is ridiculous.’

Later, Mr Abbott said while he wasn’t in the business of ‘ranking evil’ he stood by his comments. 

Cabinet will decide next week if it will expand its role in the Middle East, to include airstrikes over eastern parts of Syria.

Listen: 3AW Drive host Tom Elliott rejects Tony Abbott’s claims