Prime Minister points to video of him being shut down by rally organiser

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese won't apologise to women's safety advocate Sarah Williams over his interaction with her at a Canberra rally, saying video footage from the event speaks for itself.

In a video that appears to have been filmed at the No More: National Rally Against Violence in Commonwealth Park on Sunday, Ms Williams can be heard saying: "I actually, to be honest, don't really want anyone to speak because I don't think they should be given the microphone."

The clip, posted on Twitter by youth media outlet 6News, aligns with the accounts of rally attendees who spoke to The Canberra Times.

Asked on Tuesday whether he would apologise to Ms Williams, Mr Albanese said: "With regard to Sarah, I wish her well. I wish her well. People can see the video for themselves. They can see what people said and what people didn't say."

Ms Williams, the founder of What Were You Wearing who organised the rally, has accused Mr Albanese of lying, claiming his office knocked back an invitation for him to speak on short notice.

The disputed interaction has created a political headache for Mr Albanese, who on Wednesday morning will meet with state and territory leaders at a specially convened meeting of national cabinet that he convened to address violence against women.

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton called on Mr Albanese to apologise to Ms Williams.

"He's had some serious allegations made against him. He's been called a liar and his word questioned," Mr Dutton said on Tuesday.

"The Prime Minister needs to apologise if he has lied, and I think that issue needs to be cleared up so that it's not a distraction for what is really required here - and that is national leadership."

Mr Albanese has maintained that he was not initially asked to speak at the rally, which he attended alongside Finance Minister and Minister for Women Katy Gallagher.

In a shorter video taken at the rally and published by the ABC, Mr Albanese can be heard asking: "Do you want me to speak or not? I'm the Prime Minister", before stepping up to the microphone.

Senator Gallagher told the ABC on Monday there had been some confusion over who would speak, after the organisers tied permission to speak to a commitment from the Prime Minister to five specific reforms they wanted the government to back.

These were: to declare a domestic violence a national emergency; to block the media from publishing images of victims for 48 hours; mandatory victim-blaming prevention training; alternative reporting options for victims; and increased funding.

The Greens on Tuesday announced plans to move a motion in the federal Parliament to declare a national emergency.

Senator Larissa Waters said the Prime Minister "is kidding women by saying he cares about ending violence against us, while failing to declare it a national emergency, and refusing to provide enough funding needed to keep women safe".

The government's position is that while violence against women is a national crisis, it does not warrant the calling of a national emergency, which involves the invocation of specific powers designed to respond to a short-term emergency.

Mr Dutton said on Tuesday that the Prime Minister "should stick his hand up. Apologize for it, say there was a mistake that he's made and explain it to truthfully ... He always wants to tell a half truth or not to give the full details."

"We want transparency and honesty and then let the public make up their own mind," he said.

"The Prime Minister has created a distraction here by saying, look, there's nothing to see I'm not going to comment on it. His office is not providing any comment to the media. If there's nothing to hide, and he's done nothing wrong, then just be open and honest."

At Wednesday's national meeting, the Prime Minister will discuss "opportunities for further cooperation between the Commonwealth and the states on information sharing about high-risk perpetrators and serial offenders", a government spokesperson said.

Also on the agenda will be Commonwealth-led efforts to better protect women online, by countering violent and misogynistic content and access to age-inappropriate material on social media through "targeted and evidence-based" approaches.

Mr Dutton said on Tuesday: "The Prime Minister needs to stand up and show the leadership that this country requires."

"There's clearly a need for more funding in the programs that are working, or diversion of the money away from the programs aren't working into the ones that are," he said.

"The bail laws are woefully inadequate, depending on what jurisdiction we're in."

Mr Dutton also took aim at companies that profit from violent content viewed by children online, including the social media giants.

"They're the conveyors of some of these images, the normalisation of conduct which is not acceptable in the real world," he said.

Mr Albanese said in a statement released ahead of national cabinet that: "The heartbreaking reality is that there are no overnight solutions to violence against women. This is hard work and demands a real cultural change. We are committed to making progress."

Support is available for those who may be distressed. Phone Lifeline 13 11 14; Men's Referral Service 1300 776 491; Kids Helpline 1800 551 800; beyondblue 1300 224 636; 1800-RESPECT 1800 737 732;