Go back to the cave, Shorten tells senator

Bill Shorten has labelled a crossbench senator a "stone-age man" after he criticised a Labor pledge to fund the broadcast of more women's sport.

Liberal Democrat David Leyonhjelm said if women's sport was more interesting it wouldn't need other people's money.

Mr Shorten hit back on Monday, telling reporters in Cairns: "Back to the cave, stone-age man".

Senator Leyonhjelm hit back, saying he would rather be a cave man than a "fiscal fiend".

"Does the ABC need to be bribed with $21 million in order to not be sexist?" he told ABC Radio on Monday.

"If we go further ... indigenous sport, what about gay sport, disabled sport, where does it end?"