✍️ 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
-
Kiarna Harvey signed 2026-09-29 08:07:31 +1000
-
Lisa Dhaliwal signed 2026-09-28 21:50:19 +1000
-
Kara Robinson signed 2026-09-28 20:16:50 +1000
-
Nicola Mason signed 2026-09-28 15:02:32 +1000
-
Tatum Wilson signed 2026-09-28 14:13:01 +1000
-
Sarah Pringle signed 2026-09-28 13:43:25 +1000
-
Lori Goode signed 2026-09-28 13:38:07 +1000
-
Meghala Nair signed 2026-09-28 13:15:26 +1000Thank you – I’m glad to hear that there is a focus on male/dad mental health associated with this ask.
-
Daryl Walter signed 2026-09-28 13:05:32 +1000
-
kas leo signed 2026-09-28 13:05:23 +1000
-
Soula Houndalas signed 2026-09-28 13:04:59 +1000
-
Scott Batchelor signed 2026-09-28 13:04:01 +1000
-
Elizabeth Sharpe signed 2026-09-28 12:59:29 +1000Please ensure second parents are covered, not just dads. My wife deserves the same benefits as dads when I carry our babies.
-
Emma Schiffler signed 2026-09-28 10:50:05 +1000
-
Tamara Sandars signed 2026-09-28 09:37:55 +1000
-
Alexandra Shepherd signed 2026-09-28 09:10:14 +1000I believe that if we are truely going to be looking at equality and fairness then we need no be mandating 50/50 care non transferable. Frankly 12 months doesn’t cut it. It’s the minimum. Babies are breast feeding up to 2 years. That means they need one on one support for 2 years min. Let’s be better than Russia, Sweden, and Finland.
We should be aiming to be the best, to make it a benefit to have a child. Not a hinderence. -
Ash Rayner signed 2026-09-28 08:15:11 +1000I’m a proud doting dad of 5 and 2 weeks is nowhere near enough for dads!
-
Nikita Sullivan signed 2026-09-28 07:58:41 +1000
-
Louise Knight signed 2026-09-28 07:39:06 +1000
-
Rhea Albuquerque signed 2026-09-28 07:13:53 +1000
-
Megan Polidano signed 2026-09-28 06:52:45 +1000
-
Sarah Matthews signed 2026-09-28 05:25:47 +1000
-
Shannon Shaw signed 2026-09-27 22:27:58 +1000
-
Jessie Stone signed 2026-09-27 22:22:15 +1000
-
Kaesy maihi signed 2026-09-27 20:46:32 +1000
-
Virginia Strickland signed 2026-09-27 19:28:30 +1000
-
Michael Gregory signed 2026-09-27 19:07:19 +1000
-
Meibelle Gregory signed 2026-09-27 19:00:49 +1000
-
Daniel Hanrahan signed via Sebastian Costello 2026-09-27 18:32:06 +1000
-
Anh Tran signed 2026-09-27 18:16:05 +1000