Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has announced ministers will be banned from having sexual relationships with staffers under a rethink of the code of conduct.
It follows revelations of Mr Joyce's relationship with his former media adviser, which the Prime Minister also criticised as a "shocking error of judgment."
Mr Turnbull says the code has been rewritten, effective immediately, because the existing standards were, what he termed, "deficient".
Last week Independent M-P Cathy McGowan suggested that Australia should follow the United States in banning sex between M-Ps and staff, but neither Labor nor the Coalition backed the idea.
Meantime, Liberal senator Jim Molan says he supports the prime minister's changes to the code of conduct which ban ministers from having sexual relationships with their staff.
Malcolm Turnbull announced the changes following days of publicity over Barnaby Joyce and his extramarital affair.
Mr Joyce is taking personal leave and will not be acting in the prime minister's role next week when Malcolm Turnbull visits the United States.
Senator Molan says he supports the changes.
