I, too, have a beautiful blue Quaker parrot that I've had since she was weened almost 18 years now. I absolutely couldn't leave her either. She's like my child and I love her so much. My heart goes out to you. I hope the Australian authorities will change their laws.
As someone who has 17 Birds, and someone who is dearly attached to each and every one of them as if they were my own feathered children, I feel as though petitions like this are the absolute cornerstone for making sure that people stay with their little feathered Buddies.
Rules be damned, if someone has a little feathered child, they need to stay with their feather child, and their little feather child needs to stay with them.
as a bird mama myself in the states i cannot imagine leaving my babies behind. we form such strong lifelong connections with these animals that live 20-70 years on average depending on the breed, show some compassion.
I had a female Quaker Parrot . She was my life, my heart, and joy. My best friend, and companion. These birds are not just birds. They are a part of your heart forever, once you have them in your life. They are loving and loyal.
I can't imagine the heartbreak if this happened to me. I have a 9 yr old cockatiel. He is my family. Birds, like other animals, definitely have love for their owners. I know my bird would grieve, and never understand what happened to his family.