✍️ 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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Sadaf Khalil signed 2026-09-08 14:50:42 +1000
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Alice Land signed 2026-09-08 14:47:17 +1000
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Neha Trivedi signed 2026-09-08 14:27:49 +1000Dads deserve the same leave as the moms.
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Jack Deerbon signed 2026-09-08 14:27:21 +1000
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Ebony Doherty signed 2026-09-08 14:22:26 +1000
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Hass J signed 2026-09-08 13:45:33 +1000
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Lisa Taylor signed 2026-09-08 13:33:22 +1000More babies and kids in their primary caregivers care at such crucial time of development and attachment can have lifelong positive impacts. Not only will this relieve little ones of being pushed into daycare when they are too young it will provide such important care and attention from those that are meant to be there with them in that first year of life.
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Shannan McLellan signed 2026-09-08 13:06:02 +1000
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Sarah Keir signed 2026-09-08 13:00:24 +1000
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Lucinda Allen signed 2026-09-08 12:41:56 +1000
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Mitchell Fong signed 2026-09-08 12:38:58 +1000As a new dad I would love to not have to feel like I need to go back to work quickly to continue supporting our family. I’d love to have more time with my wife and newborn to really appreciate this special moment rather than it feel like it was a task that’s now done and move on.
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Pru De garis signed 2026-09-08 12:38:38 +1000
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Matt van G signed 2026-09-08 12:36:01 +1000
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Elise Disher signed 2026-09-08 11:34:20 +1000
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Bella Jenkins signed 2026-09-08 11:32:34 +1000
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Nathan Stokes signed 2026-09-08 11:21:56 +1000I am a proud dad
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Sarah Tomlin signed 2026-09-08 10:58:40 +1000
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Suzanne Clifton signed 2026-09-08 10:58:36 +1000
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Derryn Porat signed 2026-09-08 10:26:27 +1000
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Kimberlee Holley signed 2026-09-08 10:10:31 +1000Much needed!
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Helen Walker signed via Sebastian Costello 2026-09-08 09:38:30 +1000
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Eira Martens-Edwards signed 2026-09-08 09:35:13 +1000
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Britany Lang signed 2026-09-08 09:15:40 +1000
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Danielle signed 2026-09-08 09:05:55 +1000
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Hanna Torsh signed 2026-09-08 09:05:10 +1000
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Jessica Lisle signed 2026-09-08 08:37:23 +1000
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Tracey Gietz signed 2026-09-08 08:32:08 +1000
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Sarah Kozicki signed 2026-09-08 08:29:47 +1000
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Alana Dimarco signed 2026-09-08 08:27:34 +1000
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Ashlee Foote signed 2026-09-08 08:23:10 +1000