The deputy prime minister apologised to Nationals colleagues at a meeting on Monday, ahead of parliament resuming for the year on Tuesday, but nothing further came of the issue.

Mr Morrison has forgiven Mr Joyce - whose offer of resignation was knocked back - for the text messages sent to former Liberal staffer Brittany Higgins in March 2021.

"Working one-on-one with him is a completely different scenario," Mr Joyce told the Seven Network ahead of the partyroom meeting.

"I know the prime minister vastly better now. He's honoured every agreement ... and they're the actions of a person who's trustworthy."

Nationals deputy leader David Littleproud said party colleagues recognised Mr Joyce had been in a "darker space" when the text messages were sent.

"What I would say is that Barnaby is now part of a cohesive team that is delivering for our country."

Former Nationals leader Michael McCormack earlier said Mr Joyce had some explaining to do over the leaked texts and indicated he would consider a tilt for the leadership if it came up again.

"If enough members of the party came to me and asked me to lead the party, I would seriously consider that," he told the ABC.

He said many members were disgruntled about politicians focusing on themselves and not the people they served.

The imbroglio over Mr Joyce's leaked texts comes amid another twist in the scandal over messages sent between former NSW premier Gladys Berejiklian and an unnamed cabinet minister calling the prime minister a "complete psycho".

Another former NSW premier, Labor's Bob Carr, sensationally accused Defence Minister Peter Dutton in a tweet on Sunday night as being the cabinet member behind the leak.

Mr Dutton responded soon after with his own tweet, calling the assertion "baseless and untrue".

Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese urged whoever sent the text messages about the prime minister to come forward, but said the issue was overshadowing other important issues.

"This is such a distraction, the dysfunction and the dishonesty and disunity is meaning this government is paralysed in taking the action that really does concern Australia," he told the Seven Network.

"These are all distractions from what the prime minister's job is and what the government's job is."

The parliamentary year will kick off with a church service, before Mr Morrison uses a speech to parliament to pay tribute to the Queen on her platinum jubilee.

The lower house will focus on religious discrimination laws, while in the upper house new Victorian senator Greg Mirabella will be sworn in.

Australian Associated Press