The Prime Minister was trying to conduct a press conference on Labor's support for Darwin hospitals, but the man in the shorts had other ideas at the Palmerston Health Centre.

''Stop spending!''

Rudd did an excellent impression of ignoring the voter feedback and continued talking about his belief in ''co-operative federalism'' and $110 million in funding that Labor would provide for a hospital at Palmerston. The shorts-wearer eventually gave up.

But the Northern Territory government also had a similar message for the Prime Minister on Saturday, denying Rudd the right to campaign at the GP super clinic.

This meant Rudd could tour inside the facility, but the media (who had been invited to cover the outing and were arguably the point of it) had to wait outside, filming the PM at ridiculous angles through windows and doors.

Despite an NT government spokesman saying the ''protocol'' was agreed to on Friday by Rudd's office and clinic and also applies to Coalition MPs, Rudd later roused on Territory Chief Minister Adam Giles, describing the campaign ban as ''base'' politics. ''What have you got to hide?'' he asked Giles through the magic of TV.

Diana Day might ask the same question of the PM.

Rudd's press conference had been watched by Day – who was wheelchair-bound – and helped by her partner, Ross.

At the end of his remarks, Rudd – who as recently as Friday had visited a disability care organisation, talking up Labor's credentials in the area – shook hands for only the briefest of moments with Day.

Day had a question for the PM about what she argued were different standards of healthcare available for white and indigenous Australians – but Rudd had turned and gone before she had got the chance to ask.

''Prime Minister . . . Mr Rudd!'' she called after him, later describing his behaviour as ''very rude''.

''Because I'm not Aboriginal I can't get the assistance with a disability that they can,'' Day told reporters.

A spokesman for Rudd said the PM did not ignore Day.

Rudd had only the health event scheduled in Darwin on Saturday, but a surprise stop at the Parap markets was soon added to the itinerary. Nothing like a few selfies to lift the mood and the video footage.

The PM was crowded and at times, crushed, by locals, as he sampled coconut rough fudge (he made sure he bought some for son Marcus) and toured the stalls selling indigenous art, candles and spices.

Among the barely contained chaos, he was especially keen to see seven-year-old Virginia, who shares a last name with the Prime Minister, giving her a ''cuddle'' from ''one Rudd to another''.

As he climbed up on the car to say goodbye to the Parap crowd, anti-nuclear waste protesters yelled at the Prime Minister. Despite this, and the undeniably humidity, he still managed a wave that was almost royal-like.

It was time to zip.