Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce is anticipating the birth of a new child with his former media advisor, according to reports.
Tabloid newspapers on Wednesday published front-page photographs of Mr Joyce's new partner, who appears heavily pregnant.
Mr Joyce, 50, already has four daughters with his ex-wife Natalie Joyce.
The senior Turnbull Government minister revealed his 24-year-long marriage had broken down last year during a parliamentary debate on same-sex marriage, which the Nationals leader strongly opposed.
"The current definition of marriage has stood the test of time – half of them fail, I acknowledge that,” he told the House of Representatives at the time.
"I’ll acknowledge that I'm currently separated, so that's on the record."
Mr Joyce, a conservative Catholic, defended "traditional" marriage throughout the same-sex marriage debate and eventually abstained from the vote in the Lower House.
Rumours of the new relationship with the staffer have been circulating since the New England by-election in October, which Mr Joyce won by a strong margin after the dual citizenship saga forced him to recontest the seat.
But today's story splashed across the News Corp publications will bring the matter into the public consciousness.
The couple have reportedly moved in together and their baby is apparently due in April, according to the Daily Telegraph.
Politicians reluctant to comment
A spokesman for Mr Joyce told SBS News the minister did not have a comment on the story.
His Coalition colleague Dan Tehan, the minister for social services, said his "personal view" was that the relationship was a "private matter", speaking on ABC Radio.
Fellow Nationals MP George Christensen said he would not comment on his colleague's "personal issues".
"That’s not the sort of country we are in Australia, doing scandal-type exposes on politicians' personal lives," Mr Christensen said.
The prime minister, Malcolm Turnbull, has told other media outlets he would not comment on the matter.
حمّل تطبيق أس بي أس الجديد للإستماع لبرامجكم المفضلة باللغة العربية.
