PM agrees to meet Labor on family violence

Tony Abbott and Bill Shorten will get their heads together to discuss ways to deal with domestic violence.

It is already on the agenda for a meeting of government leaders in April, but the opposition leader has written to Mr Abbott asking the prime minister to hold a national summit into family violence.

Mr Shorten wants the commonwealth, states and territories to urgently implement co-ordinated judicial and social services reform.

In parliament on Wednesday, he asked the prime minister to keep an open mind about his summit request.

Mr Abbott responded by saying he would be happy to sit down with the Labor leader and discuss what both sides of politics could do to address the issue.

"Because the people who are cowering in their own homes, the people who are frightened of those who should love them deserve the care and concern of this parliament," he said.

Earlier, the minister assisting the prime minister on women Michaelia Cash announced a $30 million national awareness campaign jointly funded with the state and territories.

"We must ensure that everyone in Australia knows that violence against women is just that - violence," she said.

The Greens welcomed the move while expressing concern about budget cuts to services that offered support to vulnerable women.

Mr Shorten said if he could not get agreement from the government, Labor would hold a national summit within 100 days of being elected to office.

And he vowed that it would not be a government "talkfest".

Labor would also commit more than $70 million for frontline legal services, Safe at Home grants and perpetrator mapping.