WA Premier Mark McGowan has ruled out enforcing a ban on sexual relations between ministers and their staff, describing the Barnaby Joyce affair and fallout as a "circus".
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull rewrote the federal ministerial code of conduct to include the ban after the affair between the Nationals leader and his former staffer Vikki Campion was revealed.
Mr McGowan told reporters on Friday he was ignoring the "circus that is our national government".
"I really don't want Western Australia to be dragged into this national circus that's going on," he said.
"I just find everything that's happening in Canberra to be beyond embarrassing."
WA has a code of conduct but it does not address sexual relations.
Mr McGowan said issuing a ban was not on his agenda, adding he had other priorities.
"It's not really something that I'm going to pay any attention to at a state level," he said.
"All I want to have happen is ministers get on with the job of making decisions, creating jobs, making sure our economy is strong, delivering decent services and preparing the budget mess we inherited."
Deputy Liberal Opposition Leader Liza Harvey said it was a "very sorry state of affairs" and suggested they "all need to get in a room" to sort out their issues.
"To make a new rule about it is really sad. I actually think that's the standard people expect from members of parliament," she told reporters.
"The concern of most Australians is that they want our members of parliament to govern and all of the rest of this stuff is a distraction."
