✍️ Add your name to give every baby the first year they deserve.
A baby's first year lays the foundation for the rest of their life.
On 1 July, Australia expanded paid parental leave to 26 weeks, with four of those weeks reserved for fathers and partners. That was a genuine win, and it was hard fought.
Four weeks is a start. It isn't a finish.
The scheme is paid at minimum wage — around half what an average full-time worker earns. For most families it doesn't stretch to a year, and it doesn't stretch to two parents.
So instead of choosing how they want to share their baby's first year, parents are forced to make financial decisions. One parent stays home. The other goes back to work. Patterns that last for years are set before families ever had a real choice.
To be clear about something: this is not leave taken from mums. It's leave added for dads. Every week a father is home in that first year is a week a mother isn't doing it alone.
Dads are main characters in family life, not cameos. It's time our policy settings said so.
It doesn't have to be this way.
The Parenthood is campaigning for 12 months of paid parental leave at a replacement wage, with dedicated leave for both parents, so every family can afford to share their baby's first year.
On Monday 7 September, dads, kids and supporters took that case to Parliament House.
Here For It. From Day One.
Read the new ‘More Time’ With Dad report
People who have signed the petition
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Candice Johnson signed 2026-11-14 08:16:10 +1100
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Belinda Carson signed 2026-11-14 07:16:47 +1100
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Kelly Donnelly signed 2026-11-11 08:28:56 +1100
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Emma Leslie signed 2026-11-10 10:32:42 +1100
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Alex McGrath signed 2026-11-09 14:23:18 +1100
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Eimear Ormes signed 2026-11-09 13:55:00 +1100
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Flora grant signed 2026-11-08 17:28:21 +1100
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Isaac Nowroozi signed 2026-11-06 12:16:57 +1100
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Ashton Kobler signed 2026-11-05 09:04:51 +1100
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Aimee Lalor signed 2026-11-04 20:33:30 +1100
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Jess Mcewan signed 2026-11-04 10:51:20 +1100
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Courtney Rose signed 2026-11-03 21:22:30 +1100
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Emma Clark signed 2026-11-03 16:54:55 +1100
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Emily Carroll signed 2026-11-03 07:52:23 +1100When I had my 3 Children my husband had to return to work within 3 days for each, it was so hard having to do it alone
So having a C-Section for each made the ‘6 weeks’ of no driving impossible, because with the second child how was I supposed to get my first daughter to school -
Jacqueline McNamara signed 2026-11-02 07:34:30 +1100
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Christine Quinton signed 2026-11-02 01:54:49 +110012 months definitely
I would even go for the first 3 years ! -
Kate McKenzie signed 2026-11-02 00:53:08 +1100Allowing both parents to access time to care will also reduce pregnancy discrimination
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Felicity jones signed 2026-10-29 15:21:14 +1100
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Emma Coughlan signed 2026-10-29 12:35:32 +1100
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Eliane Coller signed 2026-10-29 11:01:41 +1100
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Kylie Jones signed 2026-10-28 21:47:15 +1100
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Kasey Attard signed 2026-10-28 19:23:24 +1100
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Jessica McMillan signed 2026-10-28 13:53:22 +1100
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Mckenzie Unahi signed 2026-10-28 13:18:15 +1100
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Kylie Myers signed 2026-10-27 23:07:36 +1100
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Zena Lecky-Thomson signed 2026-10-27 22:26:50 +1100
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Anna Berry signed 2026-10-27 22:04:51 +1100
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Kieren French signed 2026-10-27 21:45:03 +1100
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Che Kelly signed 2026-10-27 21:41:04 +1100
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Martha Kernohan signed 2026-10-27 21:33:48 +1100