Barnaby Joyce is adamant he will stay as deputy prime minister

Australian Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce. Photo / Australia Broadcasting Corporation via AP

Barnaby Joyce is adamant he will survive as deputy prime minister despite a public call for his resignation from a partyroom colleague and a sexual harassment complaint.

Victorian MP Andrew Broad became the first Nationals federal MP to call for his leader to quit, vowing to bring the matter to a head at a party room meeting on Monday.

Mr Broad's intervention came before the Nationals confirmed late on Thursday a formal sexual harassment complaint had been made to the party.

The party's federal director Ben Hindmarsh said all complaints are taken seriously, treated with strict confidentiality and given due process.

A spokesman for Mr Joyce said he had been "made indirectly aware" of the sexual harassment allegation and described the claim as "spurious and defamatory".

Despite mounting pressure, Mr Joyce is digging in.He told Fairfax Media he is confident he will be leader after Monday's meeting."

Andrew Broad has expressed these sentiments before," Mr Joyce said.

"The proper venue for the discussion of these issues is within the party room, which we will do on Monday."

Mr Broad said Mr Joyce and pregnant former staffer Vikki Campion's first media interview as a couple was the last straw for his leadership.

"At this point in time he should take a step back and stand down and be on the back bench," Mr Broad told ABC radio.

"(He can take) some time to regroup and he may come back to make a further contribution."