The Prime Minister backed Attorney-General Christian Porter and Immigration Minister Alan Tudge to continue in the ministry after a string of ugly allegations were aired on Monday night, including that Mr Tudge engaged in an extramarital affair with a press secretary.

However, because the incident occurred before the introduction of the so-called bonk ban in Canberra in 2018, Mr Morrison said there was no evidence either man was in breach of the code.

“And indeed, I am not aware of any conduct, nor was the previous Prime Minister, after the introduction of those standards,’’ the Prime Minister said.

“See, our government responded by putting in place standards that do not exist in many of your newsrooms. They don’t exist. Those sort of standards between employers and employees do not exist in many workplaces around this country. I tell you what, they exist in mine. I have imposed them. They are there, and they will be adhered to.”

Mr Tudge has confirmed a relationship with a staffer Rachelle Miller and apologised for the hurt to his family and Ms Miller.

However, Mr Porter has dismissed the allegations he had an affair with a woman he was seen with in a Canberra bar as “totally false” and revealed he is considering his legal options.

Asked about the program on Tuesday, Mr Morrison said it raised important issues about women in the workplace but he criticised the program for ignoring claims surrounding Labor MPs.

It follows allegations the Morrison Government applied “extreme and unrelenting” pressure on the ABC to dump the program including contacting the ABC chair Ita Buttrose.

“Well, I think the issues that have been added in relation to this matter are very important. And when the former Prime Minister made the announcement that there was a need to change the ministerial standards to address this, he had no greater supporter in that than me,’’ Mr Morrison said.

“And I believe that was a very important step in changing a culture. And that culture, you will all know, is not restricted to government or opposition, to Labor or Liberal, or frankly, the media.

“It is important that everyone should feel safe in their workplace. That everyone should have proper channels through which they can deal with any issue about which they are uncomfortable.”

However, Mr Morrison said no further action would be taken against either minister and they would retain their jobs.

The Prime Minister then alluded to the fact that the marriages of both men – Mr Porter and Mr Tudge – had broken down in recent years.

“We are all accountable for our own behaviour – the cost and hurt,’’ he said.

“I am not one who seeks to judge others. I know many in the media do not think it is their job either to judge. What is important is there are standards and standards are adhered to. Under my government, I take that code very seriously. My ministers are in no doubt about what my expectations are of them, absolutely no doubt, about my expectations, and I expect them to be lived up to.

“But, you know, when you get past all the other issues around this issue, all I know is there are a number of families that have been broken, and there are some people who are really hurting over this. And I know the people involved in these issues are working really hard to try and restore what has been terribly lost.

“And there is no greater thing that breaks my heart than the breakdown of a family. It breaks my heart. And frankly, that’s the thing that bothers me most. And we’ve got a job to do to ensure we do everything we can keep families together.”

The Prime Minister revealed he had spoken to Mr Tudge and Mr Porter about the issues.

“I have spoken to both of them and they speak to them quite regularly, as you would expect. Including about these matters,’’ he said.

Mr Morrison said it was incumbent on the ABC to deal with the fact these issues occurred on both sides of politics.

“I won’t offer a commentary other than to say it only focused on one side of politics. And if anyone who has had any experience around this place things that issues in the past are limited to one side of politics, well, honestly, you reckon? You really reckon?,’’ he said.

Asked if the behaviour “passed the pub test” Mr Morrison said he was comfortable that most Australians understood politicians were only human.

“I think Australians understand human frailty, and I think they understand the people who work in this place are just as human as anyone else,’’ he said.

“Perhaps I have a better opinion of Australians. I think they are far more understanding of human frailty. They want standards. That is why the standards are there, that is why the standards were introduced. The action was undertaken under the form of the Prime Minister, one I strongly support and uphold to this day and will continue to in the future.”