Shorter parliamentary sitting weeks with longer days and committee meetings via video conference have been suggested to help WA federal MPs tackle the physical and emotional drain of distance.
Perth MP Tim Hammond quit this week, saying the constant travel that came with his job meant "there's just too much that I miss out on as a father".
Even using FaceTime was sometimes a hindrance because his children became more upset realising their dad was "too far away", while he was also at times absent in Perth because he spent time with constituents.
Mr Hammond's shock resignation has sparked debate about the added pressure on WA politicians who face a 3500km one way commute to work when parliament is sitting.
Labor MP Matt Keogh says a backbencher would be away a minimum of 22 weeks a year, including the 18 sitting weeks of parliament, while a minister was almost "never" in WA.
Mr Keogh told AAP travel took a toll on his body but it was a bigger burden on his wife, who raised their 21-month-old son Nicholas while he was away for a "big chunk of the year".
"You miss your family and there are things you miss when you're in Canberra because you're not available."
The member for Burt suggests shorter parliamentary sitting weeks but longer days, and also wants to video conference committee meetings during non-sitting weeks.
Mr Keogh noted MPs in regional WA had even further to travel, and politicians in the Northern Territory and Tasmania also had a long commute.
MPs were often seen using FaceTime to communicate with their children during "story time" before bed, he said.
Greens Senator Rachel Siewert told AAP it was "no doubt harder for anyone with young children" because they inevitably missed key milestones, such as birthdays and school plays.
She also backed video conferencing for committees.
"There has been a step forward in the last two sitting calendars where we are no longer sitting during school holidays."
Senator Siewert and Aged Care Minister Ken Wyatt agreed the three-hour time difference during daylight saving made it harder to stay connected to WA.
Mr Wyatt told AAP he had a "reasonably good routine" but there were times his wife Anna undertook tasks he usually did at home.
"I went into politics much later when my children were much older and I knew that that would not be a pressure point for me," he said.
"The more challenging part is when you become a minister, the demand on your time ... does require you to be away a little bit more frequently."
Attorney-General Christian Porter says nobody really knows what they are signing up for with politics.
"A cabinet minister from WA or from Darwin is travelling essentially every single week about 2500km," he told 6PR radio on Thursday.
"That's physically draining and it places pressures on your family."
Human Services Minister Michael Keenan told AAP he tried to be home on weekends and also used FaceTime when he was away to communicate with his children - aged seven, five and two - when they woke up in the morning.
The minister and his wife have another child on the way too.
He noted fly-in fly-out workers faced a similar issue.
