The relationship between Deputy PM Barnaby Joyce and a former staffer who is pregnant with his child has at least one lawmaker suggesting that Australia follow America's lead and ban sexual relations between politicians and their government staff.

"There is a belief the Parliament is behind community expectations and corporate practice," said independent Federal MP Cathy McGowan.  "The Parliament is a place of work, and good workplace practice includes clear expectations about behaviour."

Mr. Joyce is demanding his privacy be respected after it was revealed this week that the Deputy Prime Minister's new partner - his former press secretary Vikki Campion - is pregnant and her due date is in April.  It was last month that Mr. Joyce spoke of separating from his wife.  But Natalie Joyce soon gave a statement to The Australian explaining she was "deeply saddened" by Barnaby's announcement and that the situation was "devastating" for the couple's four daughters.  "The situation for myself and the girls will be made worse by the fact that this will all be played out in public," she told the newspaper.

The #MeToo movement revealed numerous instances of US lawmakers behaving badly with their female staffers.  So the US Congress this month passed a bill banning sexual harassment by lawmakers, and barring them from having sexual relationships with their staff.

"There are examples set by the process undertaken by the United States Congress and in the Australian corporate sector, including the action of the AFL in July last year regarding relationships in the workplace," said MP McGowan.  "I'm happy to begin this conversation ahead of potentially tabling a motion in Parliament."

Fellow crossbencher Bob Katter told Sky News, "I support the spirit of it most certainly and I think maybe I'll vote for it.  You're in such an enormously influential position with staff."

But the major parties maintained that lawmakers' personal lives aren't there to be regulated.

"The Government has no business interfering into people's personal lives and we wouldn't want to cross the line, so moral police were able to dictate what happens between consenting adults," said Foreign Minister Julie Bishop.