✍️ 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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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
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Linda Rogers signed 2026-07-27 14:03:20 +1000
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Tahlia Ruiz signed 2026-07-27 14:03:00 +1000
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Brooke Wise signed 2026-07-27 14:02:13 +1000
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Sharon Coates signed 2026-07-27 14:01:43 +1000
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Lucy Fleming signed 2026-07-27 14:00:47 +1000
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Amy Clement signed 2026-07-24 13:55:59 +1000
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Chelsea Tobin signed 2026-07-24 10:21:01 +1000
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Matt Bernasconi signed 2026-07-23 13:17:44 +1000
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Stephanie McNulty signed via Sebastian Costello 2026-07-23 09:00:55 +1000
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Josh Dixon signed via Sebastian Costello 2026-07-22 17:36:48 +1000
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Maddy Butler signed via Sebastian Costello 2026-07-22 13:21:31 +1000
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Reuben Beasley-Palmer signed via Sebastian Costello 2026-07-21 22:37:07 +1000
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Thomas Docking signed via Sebastian Costello 2026-07-21 22:23:19 +1000Amazing to work with Seb and Georgie
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Gary Barker signed via Sebastian Costello 2026-07-21 21:26:54 +1000
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Cody Ragonese signed via Sebastian Costello 2026-07-21 21:26:19 +1000Go Georgie and Seb!
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Tiffany Ipalawatte signed 2026-07-21 18:48:23 +1000
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Natalie Gebert signed 2026-07-20 20:06:50 +1000
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Phoebe Riorden signed 2026-07-20 19:30:52 +1000
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Alison McMahon signed 2026-07-20 19:25:49 +1000
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Melissa Walsh signed via Sebastian Costello 2026-07-20 16:55:48 +1000
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Loren Saiyanmontakul signed 2026-07-20 15:56:19 +1000
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Natalie Schaverien signed 2026-07-20 14:30:06 +1000