To the Honourable Speaker and members of the House of Representatives assembled in parliament.

We the undersigned request that John Simpson Kirkpatrick, of Simpson and donkey fame be awarded the Victoria Cross for Australia.

Under the Imperial Award system, the Victoria Cross was denied to Simpson as a result of some confusion in the original application. In 1915 John Monash (later General) recommended Simpson for the VC. In 1967 Lieutenant Casey who also witnessed Simpson's work (later Governor General, Lord Casey) together with Prime Minister Holt and the Chief of the General Staff, Major General Brand (also a witness) recommended him for the VC. This was also denied. The British Government claimed that a dangerous precedent would be set.

Your petitioners request that the House of Representatives do everything in their power to honour the integrity and wishes of these fine Australians and overturn the original decision not to award the VC to Simpson. Simpson is symbol of the self-sacrifice, mateship and all those values that Anzacs now stand for and Australians treasure. By honouring him, we honour them all.