Federal and state governments will spend $30 million on a national awareness campaign to stop domestic violence as Prime Minister Tony Abbott announced he will meet with Labor to discuss a bipartisan approach to the issue.
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Michaelia Cash, the Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Women, told the National Press Club on Wednesday that domestic violence was a "scourge", noting that each week in Australia one woman is murdered at the hands of a current or former partner.
"We need as a government and as a society to shine a spotlight on the issue."
Senator Cash said the federal government would work with states and territories to develop a $30 million jointly-funded national awareness raising campaign.
"We must ensure that everyone in Australia knows that violence against women is just that - violence. It is wrong, it is a crime. It should not be tolerated."
This comes as Labor leader Bill Shorten announced he had written to the Prime Minister, seeking bipartisan support for a national crisis summit on domestic violence.
"A national crisis summit on family violence is required for the Commonwealth, state and territory governments to agree to urgently implement co-ordinated judicial and social services reform within their areas of responsibility to better deal with family violence," he said.
"[It] is the best way for stakeholders to openly and transparently lay down the key policy challenges for addressing family violence."
Labor also announced it would deliver more than $70 million over three years to improve frontline legal services, home safety measures and research into perpetrators of violence.
Earlier on Wednesday, Mr Abbott appeared unreceptive to Labor's national summit idea.
""Effectively, that's what I've already proposed," he told ABC Radio, noting that there is a special Council of Australian Governments meeting on domestic violence scheduled for mid-2015.
But in response to a question from Mr Shorten in question time, the Prime Minister said he would keep an open mind about Labor's proposal.
"I take his concerns extremely seriously on the issue," Mr Abbott said during question time.
Noting that domestic violence should unite the Parliament, he added, "I am very happy to agree to sit down with the Leader of the Opposition to discuss what both of us, what all of us can do to ensure we get better outcomes on this issue."
