Mr Joyce is facing damaging political questions arising from his relationship - which began as an extramarital affair - with a staffer who once served in his office.
The scandal has dominated national attention since a photo of the ex-staffer, Vikki Campion, was featured on the front page of Sydney's Daily Telegraph last Wednesday, showing her pregnant with Mr Joyce's child.
Immediately it sparked debate about justifications for publishing the image. In Australia, the private lives of politicians are largely kept out of the public eye.
But arguments for the story's public interest quickly emerged.
Why is Mr Joyce in political trouble?
At first, Mr Joyce, leader of junior coalition party the Nationals, was accused of hypocrisy. One criticism focused on his reasons for opposing same-sex marriage before it was legalised by Australia.
During that debate, the conservative politician argued the previous marriage definition had "stood the test of time". However, he also acknowledged that many such unions failed.
"I'll acknowledge that I'm currently separated, so that's on the record," he told parliament in December.
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Mr Joyce strongly denies that he has broken ministerial rules
He also faced criticism that he may have disingenuously represented his family life to voters during his campaign to win a by-election last year. Had he lost, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull would no longer have a parliamentary majority.
Other revelations, including that Mr Joyce was now living rent-free in a businessman's property, have also drawn criticism; he had recently encouraged Australians to move away from expensive cities.
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But the greatest worry for Mr Joyce is the intense discussion over whether he has broken any rules.
That debate concerns how Ms Campion, a former journalist turned media adviser, came to take up two jobs with his senior colleagues last year.
Ms Campion left Mr Joyce's office last April to take up a post with Minister for Resources and Northern Australia Matthew Canavan.
When Mr Canavan was also caught up in the dual citizenship saga, Ms Campion moved briefly back to Mr Joyce's office, then landed a new job with Nationals MP Damian Drum.
Political opponents have questioned whether the unadvertised positions, reported by local media to be well paid, may be evidence that Mr Joyce breached a ministerial code of conduct.
source:www.bbc.com
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