✍️ 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 are taking that case to Parliament House. We want your name on the list we hand over.
Here For It. From Day One.
Read the new ‘More Time’ With Dad report
People who have signed the petition
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Hayley Ersser signed 2026-09-06 15:22:07 +1000
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Georgia Stormont signed 2026-09-06 15:18:54 +1000
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Monique Poynton signed 2026-09-06 15:14:55 +1000
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Kelly Kruger signed 2026-09-06 15:13:38 +1000
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Sage Costa signed 2026-09-06 15:12:14 +1000
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Emily Resevsky signed 2026-09-06 14:54:56 +1000
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Felicity France signed 2026-09-06 14:41:42 +1000
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Corey Rodgers signed 2026-09-06 14:40:35 +1000
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Tilli Adeane signed 2026-09-06 14:37:23 +1000
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Emily Vidler signed 2026-09-06 14:36:42 +1000What an amazing proposal!! Active dads are such a vital piece to the family unit and deserve to have this opportunity.
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Jessica Cozens signed 2026-09-06 14:33:16 +1000
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Isabella Henderson signed 2026-09-06 14:30:20 +1000
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Asha Wilson signed 2026-09-06 14:25:33 +1000
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Sallie Butler signed 2026-09-06 14:16:45 +1000
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Melinda Muston signed 2026-09-06 14:11:17 +1000
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Kyah Calam signed 2026-09-06 14:07:05 +1000
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Maddie Shaw signed 2026-09-06 14:00:55 +1000
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Matthew Pearcy signed 2026-09-06 14:00:45 +1000
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Kate Roche signed 2026-09-06 13:55:32 +1000
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Maddy Prince signed 2026-09-06 13:55:00 +1000
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Tim Rasmussen signed 2026-09-06 13:51:10 +1000
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Ryan Schwenke signed 2026-09-06 13:49:08 +1000
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Chloe Hoad signed 2026-09-06 13:45:21 +1000
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Kristen Waddingham signed 2026-09-06 13:44:48 +1000
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Derek Hayward signed 2026-09-06 13:38:14 +1000My partner and I have twin girls. I was not able to be home to support her when we had two babies needing her at the same time.
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Michaela Sherry signed 2026-09-06 13:37:54 +1000
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James Lawton signed 2026-09-06 13:37:15 +1000
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Asha signed 2026-09-06 13:30:25 +1000
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Laura Ballin signed 2026-09-06 13:24:16 +1000
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Chad Kaye signed 2026-09-06 13:21:51 +1000