WorldAustralia's prime minister imposed a formal ban on sex between ministers and their staff on Thursday after his deputy made "a shocking error of judgement" by having an affair that left an aide pregnant and the government reeling. Foreign Minister Julie Bishop, as deputy Liberal leader, would normally step in if Joyce was unavailable. The prime minister could sack him, but that risks fracturing the ruling coalition and could cause a rift between the Liberal and National parties. As such, he amended the code of conduct to make unequivocally clear that "ministers, regardless of whether they are married or single, must not engage in sexual relations with staff". The code stipulates that "partners" of ministers cannot be given jobs in ministerial offices without the express approval of the prime minister.

Source: Sunday Times February 15, 2018 10:18 UTC