Anthony Albanese denounced the "Ditch the Witch" advertisements targeting Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan around Melbourne since May.
The billboards - driven around the city on the sides of trucks and reportedly paid for by local businesses, including a brothel - depict Ms Allan wearing a witch's hat next to the "Ditch the Witch" slogan.
On Monday, Mr Albanese warned personal attacks on politicians were harmful, hinting that they could lead to political violence.
He drew a direct parallel to the abuse suffered by former prime minister Julia Gillard - who was targeted with the same slogan during her time in office - saying such behaviour has to stop.
"The sexist campaign targeting the Victorian premier is totally unacceptable and has no place in public life. We want to encourage women to enter public life and it should be a contest of ideas, not personal attacks," Mr Albanese told reporters.
"You don't have to denigrate people in such a personal way. It has got to stop.
"And what I don't want to do is to have a press conference in this courtyard after a tragedy.
"We need to have much more respect for each other and public discourse will be all the better for it."
Ms Allan, who is contesting the Victorian election in November, condemned the billboards, describing them as sexist.
"I cannot stand back and let Victoria become a place where this sort of thing is fair game against any woman at work - or any woman in leadership," Ms Allan said in a post on social media.
In a comment on Ms Allan's post, Animal Justice Party MP Georgie Purcell supported the premier, saying misogyny was being disguised as criticism.
"It makes all women and gender-diverse people in public life - and everywhere - unsafe," Ms Purcell wrote.
"An attack on one of us is an attack on all of us and the growing normalisation of misogyny disguised as criticism needs to end."
Ms Gillard, who had the same "Ditch the Witch" slogan used against her 15 years ago, said she was disappointed to see the "tired, old trope resurrected".
"I am disgusted to see the use of the slogan 'Ditch the Witch' in Victoria and aimed at Premier Jacinta Allan," she said in a statement online.
Franco Puleo, owner of the Gotham City brothel in South Melbourne, told The Age he had funded part of the advertising campaign against Ms Allan with other local business owners.
"[Allan] doesn't answer questions. She's not accountable to everything … It's just how people are feeling. That's what they're resorting to," Puleo told The Age. "That's not a political ad. It's basically what the Victorian public feel."
15°C