Collingwood president Eddie McGuire's jokey comments about drowning Fairfax journalist Caroline Wilson have elicited a rebuke from Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull.

Speaking at a press conference in Darwin on Tuesday, the Prime Minister weighed into the furore for the first time, saying "there is no place for disrespecting women" – especially by public figures in privileged positions.

"You've heard me say this before, but it's worth repeating. Not all disrespecting women ends up in violence against women. But that is where all violence against women begins," he said.

"There is no place for disrespectful language towards women, and that particularly applies to people who are in the public eye, whether they're leaders like myself or media personalities who have a big megaphone."

On his radio program last week, McGuire said he would pay $50,000 to see Wilson, The Age's chief football writer, "stay under" freezing water, and another $10,000 for "everyone to stand around the outside and bomb her". He then went on to call Wilson a "black widow", complaining that she "just sucks you in and...bang! She gets you".

He later claimed the remarks were mere banter, and not intended to cause offence.

Mr Turnbull's take-down of McGuire contrasted with comments on Monday by Foreign Minister Julie Bishop, who dismissed the controversy as a distraction and said people should be more "robust".

"If we're going to take offence at every silly, offhand remark or attempt at humour, then we're not focusing on the really important issues of the day," she said.

On Tuesday she refused to give the issue "oxygen" by commenting further, but said "the issue of domestic violence is significant".

McGuire's comments have thrust the issues of domestic violence and attitudes towards women high onto the political agenda in the penultimate week of the election campaign.

Labor leader Bill Shorten cancelled a scheduled Tuesday appearance on McGuire's program, and his deputy Tanya Plibersek castigated McGuire for his "medieval" views.

The government on Tuesday pledged to increase funding for frontline services for domestic violence, so victims and their family members obtain timely support.

Mr Turnbull, who has been fighting a heavy cold, on Tuesday took reporters to task as they clamoured to question him, before singling out a female reporter.

"Can I say, it is not very polite to talk over the top of anyone, particularly the woman here who is asking me a question. Please continue," he told the reporter.

The journalist asked for Mr Turnbull's response to an incident involving Northern Territory MP Natasha Griggs, who was reportedly filmed this month confronting a female union member in the street and demanding she stop filming her.

Ms Griggs has been accused of acting aggressively and knocking the phone out of the union member's hand.

However Mr Turnbull rose to Ms Griggs' defence, describing her as "an outstanding member of parliament. She's an outstanding colleague".

The Prime Minister rejected suggestions he had been avoiding NT Country Liberal chief minister Adam Giles, after one of his MPs, Nathan Barrett, resigned from cabinet after being accused of sending a female constituent two videos of himself masturbating.

Mr Turnbull pointed to his morning campaigning and said Mr Giles was "there with us all day".

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