After becoming the butt of a Chaser joke for his support of Wicked Campers' controversial slogans, Senator David Leyonhjelm has lashed out at a women's rights activist, telling her to STFU (shut the f*** up) on Twitter.

The Liberal Democrats senator had said slogans on the vans like "A wife: an attachment you screw on the bed to get the housework done" are freedom of speech and "you need to be a particularly wowserish type of person to not find them funny".

Satirical comedy group The Chaser this week approached Mr Leyonhjelm with vans covered in personalised slogans including "The best thing about oral sex from David Leyonhjelm — 5 minutes of silence" for a skit.

Senator Leyonhjelm reacted by telling the crew to "f*** off".

On Thursday he tweeted author and women's rights activist Melinda Tankard Reist to "STFU" in response to her post about his views on the vans, in a move she said was "surprising" from a political leader.

"I'm used to abuse ... but when it comes from someone in high office, someone who is a representative of the people, a civic leader, that is a little bit more surprising," she told the ABC.

"This is what passes for political discourse now in the country, is telling women like me to 'shut the f*** up'."

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She said it was ironic he was the "greatest defender of freedom of speech", but when it involved him, as The Chaser skit did, he was "threatening to call the police".

Senator Leyonhjelm told the ABC: "Twitter is not a debating chamber, so this language was entirely appropriate for the medium. Standing up to authoritarians is my job, so it certainly won’t hinder my chances of re-election."

He said while he had "no problems" with The Chaser commenting on his policies, it had crossed the line.

"The Chaser came to my house, did not identify themselves, displayed homophobic slogans in my street, and alarmed my wife.

"I also thought they were intending to enter my property, which is why I told them I would call the police."

Ms Tankard Reist helped establish the Collective Shout campaign which she says has led the charge to ban the Wicked Camper slogans.

Some of those campaigns, and others like them, have successfully delivered rulings from the Advertising Standards Bureau. But those rulings are unenforceable.

"Attitudes shape behaviour and when you engage in sexism and misogyny, and sexualise women and girls, it has outcomes in the real world," she said.

"We don't need political leaders who think that violence against women and misogyny is funny."