✍️ 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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Debra Rosicky signed 2026-07-27 15:02:51 +1000
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Vicki Scholes signed 2026-07-27 15:02:29 +1000I don’t think there should be a limit on get paid patantel leave for all mums especially those that are doing a great job staying hon to raise their children. It’s discrimination to allow working mothers that have better incomes in their families have paid leave and not stay at home mums that could use a helping hand when adding to their family so I oppose paid maternity leave unless stay at home mums can have it to. There is so much help for working mums and very little for stay at home mums that are helping population and choose to raise their children themselves. All or none is the best policy.
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Ingrid Bean signed 2026-07-27 15:01:19 +1000
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Kerry Heubel signed 2026-07-27 14:56:23 +1000I loved my job but I hated having to go back to work when I knew my daughter was not yet ready for separation. I needed more time to prepare her for a move to childcare.
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Fiona Ninnes signed 2026-07-27 14:56:09 +1000
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Brian Gibson signed 2026-07-27 14:50:46 +1000
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Elizabeth Nguyen signed 2026-07-27 14:44:45 +1000
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Ash F signed 2026-07-27 14:42:21 +1000
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Melanie Ferns signed 2026-07-27 14:39:21 +1000
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Nicholas Sullivan - Tailyour signed via Sebastian Costello 2026-07-27 14:38:37 +1000
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Cindy Hilliard signed 2026-07-27 14:34:11 +1000
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Jade Ogden signed 2026-07-27 14:30:26 +1000This is what all children deserve. It’s what all parents deserve. There are so many stat’s out that prove that more time with your children in the early years is vital for their physical and emotional well being.
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Elizabeth McLennan signed 2026-07-27 14:30:06 +1000
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Dr David Reiter signed 2026-07-27 14:28:25 +1000
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Lily Mora signed 2026-07-27 14:23:42 +1000
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Fiona Field signed 2026-07-27 14:19:32 +1000
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Meghan Bourke signed 2026-07-27 14:16:35 +1000
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Brad Chilcott signed 2026-07-27 14:15:49 +1000
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Lesley McFarlane signed 2026-07-27 14:14:45 +1000
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Kiara Salmon signed 2026-07-27 14:12:32 +1000
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Robert Reynolds signed 2026-07-27 14:12:01 +1000
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Mary Duckett signed 2026-07-27 14:11:52 +1000
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Edwina Stevenson signed 2026-07-27 14:10:25 +1000
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Mim Bartlett signed 2026-07-27 14:09:28 +1000
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Lilian Spencer signed 2026-07-27 14:09:12 +1000So many reasons to support this policy, but my number one is a generation of would-be parents feels they simply can’t afford a family of their own. That’s going to lead to much bigger problems and cost society way more down the track that 1 year of universal parental leave.
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Kate Toohey signed 2026-07-27 14:09:02 +1000
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Lucinda Porter signed 2026-07-27 14:08:51 +1000Yes to 52 weeks parental pay. Every family deserves this!
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Jade Thomas signed 2026-07-27 14:06:37 +1000
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Stew Prins signed 2026-07-27 14:04:21 +1000
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Richard Litster signed 2026-07-27 14:04:13 +1000