The following residents of the ACT draw to the attention of the Assembly that the symbols in the Coat of Arms of Canberra, including two St Edward's Crowns, the motto "For the Queen, the Law and the People", do not represent the contemporary values and ideals of many in the ACT population, and instead imply the loyalty of all ACT residents to the British Monarchy. The ACT voted strongly in favour of a republic in the 1999 Republic Referendum. In addition the ACT is the only major jurisdiction in the Commonwealth that does not have a Coat of Arms of its own, using the Coat of Arms of Canberra to represent the entire ACT. An opportunity exists to design an ACT Coat of Arms that uses local symbols, such as the Royal Bluebell and the Gang-Gang Cockatoo.
Your petitioners, therefore, request the Assembly to replace the Coat of Arms of Canberra with a more representative Coat of Arms of the ACT. This new design should ideally involve the public through a public competition, with the winning design chosen by an impartial panel, subject to the final approval of the ACT Assembly.