✍️ 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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Ryan Schwenke signed 2026-09-06 13:49:08 +1000
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Chloe Hoad signed 2026-09-06 13:45:21 +1000
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Kristen Waddingham signed 2026-09-06 13:44:48 +1000
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Derek Hayward signed 2026-09-06 13:38:14 +1000My partner and I have twin girls. I was not able to be home to support her when we had two babies needing her at the same time.
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Michaela Sherry signed 2026-09-06 13:37:54 +1000
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James Lawton signed 2026-09-06 13:37:15 +1000
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Asha signed 2026-09-06 13:30:25 +1000
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Laura Ballin signed 2026-09-06 13:24:16 +1000
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Chad Kaye signed 2026-09-06 13:21:51 +1000
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Katie Burge signed 2026-09-06 13:08:19 +1000
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Nicholas Delany signed 2026-09-06 13:07:54 +1000
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Lauren Noakes Noakes signed 2026-09-06 12:49:17 +1000
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Rebecca Bentley signed 2026-09-06 12:45:53 +1000
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Reece Wilson signed 2026-09-06 12:35:04 +1000
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Rhi Bracefield signed 2026-09-06 12:34:46 +1000
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Elahe Zarrin signed 2026-09-06 12:33:09 +1000
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Casey Jeffers signed 2026-09-06 12:32:51 +1000
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Laura Sherriff signed 2026-09-06 12:31:18 +1000
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Sally Linaker signed 2026-09-06 12:23:37 +1000
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Amy Patterson signed 2026-09-06 12:23:29 +1000
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Sushil Tamang signed 2026-09-06 12:19:03 +1000Both parents have equal responsibilities, everyone deserves to have time with their children when then are needed the most.
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Ruth Killeney-Taylor signed 2026-09-06 12:16:44 +1000
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Parvathi Subramaniam signed 2026-09-06 12:06:06 +1000
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Micah Binch signed 2026-09-06 12:03:51 +1000
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Rebecca Tirrell signed 2026-09-06 12:03:34 +1000
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Emma-Kate Hewitt signed 2026-09-06 11:49:36 +1000
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Kaitlin Ireson signed 2026-09-06 11:45:55 +1000
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Nicole Kennedy signed 2026-09-06 11:44:09 +1000
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Amy Horner signed 2026-09-06 11:39:20 +1000
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Vanessa Abbey signed 2026-09-06 11:39:16 +1000