Federal Treasurer Scott Morrison has put his ministerial colleagues on notice that if they sleep with their staff, it will no longer be kept quiet.

As the Prime Minister tried to play down the crisis within the Coalition, insisting "relations are strong", Mr Morrison backed Malcolm Turnbull's criticism of Barnaby Joyce's behaviour.

"I'm sorry — if you sleep with your staff, it's not private anymore, it's public, because you're a minister in a position of responsibility and power, over those who work for you," Mr Morrison told Insiders.

"And we owe it to them to live up to this standard."

Mr Turnbull announced the ban on ministers having sexual relationships with their staff members in response to revelations Mr Joyce was expecting a baby with former media adviser Vikki Campion.

Sorry, this video has expired Turnbull had 'frank, warm and constructive' chat with Barnaby Joyce

While Mr Joyce was expecting that announcement, the ABC understands he was not expecting the public dressing down from Mr Turnbull in which he invited his deputy to "consider his own position".

Some of Mr Turnbull's senior colleagues were shocked and bewildered by his harsh words for Mr Joyce, which prompted a public spat between the two leaders.

But Mr Morrison said the comments were appropriate.

"There was obviously some sensitivity to the forcefulness of it but, frankly, I wasn't surprised by the forcefulness of it because I know the Prime Minister's strong views on this and his lived experience," Mr Morrison said.

In a bid to resolve the crisis, the two leaders met for an hour on Saturday and agreed they needed to work closely together.

Speaking for the first time since that meeting, Mr Turnbull described the conversation as "frank, warm and constructive" but when asked if he offered an apology, he said "there was nothing to apologise for".

'The Coalition is strong'

Sorry, this video has expired Malcolm Turnbull and Barnaby Joyce exchanged barbs in separate press conferences.

The Prime Minister has also tried to play down the gulf between himself and Mr Joyce, assuring Australians that "relations are very strong" between the Coalition partners.

"There are no issues between the Liberal and Nationals parties at all, none at all," he said.

Mr Joyce had already endured days of damaging headlines about his affair with Vikki Campion. ( Supplied )

With a one-seat majority in the Lower House, the Liberal Party relies on the Nationals' support so despite the damage caused by Mr Joyce, the Prime Minister has no choice but to work with him.

But Mr Joyce's future in politics and future as The Nationals leader still remains unclear.

He may have survived an open mutiny on his leadership last week but Nationals colleague Michael McCormack, who has been touted as a possible replacement, has made it clear a challenge is still on the cards.

Mr McCormack told Fairfax Media that while he did not want to get ahead of himself, his colleagues would use this week to "take a temperature reading and see what their own constituents are saying and make considered decisions based on that".

"Obviously what else transpires — not just in our electorates but obviously on a national front — has to be thought through," he told Fairfax.