✍️ 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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Fay Hadley signed 2026-09-14 09:00:30 +1000
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Ivan Markovic signed 2026-09-14 08:54:44 +1000
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Lauren Ireland signed 2026-09-14 08:51:51 +1000
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Elise Disher signed 2026-09-14 08:42:44 +1000
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Megan Towell signed 2026-09-14 08:40:41 +1000
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Shenae Green signed 2026-09-14 08:40:07 +1000
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Monique Sutherland signed 2026-09-14 08:37:55 +1000
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Mary Wicks signed 2026-09-14 08:30:14 +1000
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Simone Mottley signed 2026-09-14 08:26:35 +1000
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Elliot Thompson signed 2026-09-14 08:24:25 +1000
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Clair White signed 2026-09-14 08:20:46 +1000
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Tameeka Henderson signed 2026-09-14 08:19:22 +100012 months for qualifying Mum’s and 12 weeks for qualifying Dad’s!
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Tamra Flewell-Smith signed 2026-09-14 08:14:26 +1000
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Amelia Robinson signed 2026-09-14 08:08:25 +1000
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Kelly Tiller signed 2026-09-14 08:06:11 +1000
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Annie Noel signed 2026-09-14 08:03:56 +1000
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Kayla Weir signed 2026-09-14 07:58:06 +1000
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Daniel Lynskey signed 2026-09-14 07:54:25 +1000
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Katelyn Moakes signed 2026-09-14 07:53:57 +1000
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Jonathan Daniel signed 2026-09-14 07:43:18 +1000
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Nicolas Seow signed 2026-09-14 07:42:20 +1000
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Dylan Gepp signed 2026-09-14 07:40:35 +1000Absolutely!
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Lachlan Macdougall signed 2026-09-14 07:35:05 +1000
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Hayley Pigram signed 2026-09-14 07:30:29 +1000
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Emily Ensor signed 2026-09-14 07:18:06 +100012 mths for both parents without dipping into each other’s leave is the best to come out of it!
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Megan Barnett signed 2026-09-14 06:53:26 +1000
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Kelly Dunn signed 2026-09-14 06:51:09 +1000
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Stephanie Mason signed 2026-09-14 06:50:56 +1000
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Todd Gilbert signed 2026-09-14 06:31:24 +1000
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Ashlee signed 2026-09-14 06:20:52 +1000