🔥 1,492 people have signed
12 months of paid parental leave - sign the petition
1,492 signatures
1,492 of 2,500 goal

✍️ 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
Alexandrea Burrows
Emily Schade
Janin Bredehoeft
Kate Blackwood
Lourdina Rego
Andrea Garland
Damien Hashemi
Jayden Farrell
Meredith Caldwell
Russell Rodrigues
Venkata Nalluri
Ranvir Gardner
Benjamin O'Toole
Josie Foster
Brandon Hults
Mohammed Shaheer
Vijit Kapoor
Matt Smith
Ewan Nurse
Camilo Torres
Jose Pablo Cordova Vivanco
Steven Macmeikan
Maria Motha
Satoshi Suda
Stuart Thurlby
Steve Bunting
Prashant Tandon
Ryan Carters
Mary Digges
Marie Carvolth

Will you sign?

Recent responses

  • Alexandrea Burrows
    signed 2026-09-04 09:49:14 +1000
  • Emily Schade
    signed 2026-09-04 09:42:59 +1000
    Cannot come soon enough
  • Janin Bredehoeft
    signed 2026-09-03 11:27:23 +1000
  • Kate Blackwood
    signed via 2026-09-03 09:30:17 +1000
  • Lourdina Rego
    signed 2026-09-02 21:52:00 +1000
    I support this cause
  • Andrea Garland
    signed 2026-09-02 21:34:56 +1000
  • Damien Hashemi
    signed 2026-09-02 21:02:18 +1000
  • Jayden Farrell
    signed 2026-09-02 19:29:40 +1000
  • Meredith Caldwell
    signed 2026-09-02 19:00:36 +1000
  • Russell Rodrigues
    signed 2026-09-02 17:20:55 +1000
  • Venkata Nalluri
    signed 2026-09-02 15:21:09 +1000
  • Ranvir Gardner
    signed 2026-09-02 15:04:22 +1000
  • Benjamin O'Toole
    signed 2026-09-02 14:45:43 +1000
  • Josie Foster
    signed 2026-09-02 13:58:29 +1000
    Will improve our society, SO much.
  • Brandon Hults
    signed 2026-09-02 13:18:06 +1000
  • Mohammed Shaheer
    signed 2026-09-02 13:03:26 +1000
    I’m about to become a dad soon, and based on the Centrelink payment process, we won’t be receiving any financial support because of the income I earn from my job. As we are currently relying on a single income, our financial situation is quite difficult, and managing the increasing living expenses is becoming challenging.


    I’m hoping there may be some form of assistance or support available to help us during this time, as we are preparing for the arrival of our baby and trying to manage everything on one income.
  • Vijit Kapoor
    signed 2026-09-02 12:58:42 +1000
  • Matt Smith
    signed 2026-09-02 12:58:23 +1000
    Dads are just as important as mums.
  • Ewan Nurse
    signed 2026-09-02 12:47:48 +1000
  • Camilo Torres
    signed via 2026-09-02 12:47:08 +1000
  • Jose Pablo Cordova Vivanco
    signed 2026-09-02 12:42:58 +1000
  • Steven Macmeikan
    signed 2026-09-02 12:42:31 +1000
  • Maria Motha
    signed via 2026-09-02 12:38:30 +1000
  • Satoshi Suda
    signed 2026-09-02 12:37:50 +1000
  • Stuart Thurlby
    signed via 2026-09-02 12:37:48 +1000
    Yes, this!
  • Steve Bunting
    signed via 2026-09-02 12:37:44 +1000
  • Prashant Tandon
    signed 2026-09-02 12:33:27 +1000
  • Ryan Carters
    signed via 2026-09-02 12:26:19 +1000
  • Mary Digges
    signed 2026-09-02 06:17:36 +1000
    As an ECE Consultant and Grandmother this is a necessity for babies and parents to develop loving and caring bonds , healthy development, wellbeing and mental health without the stress of work commitments and financial pressure.

    Parents need our support to advocate for the importance of early years so they can grow and nurture healthy humans.
  • Marie Carvolth
    signed 2026-09-01 21:35:22 +1000