Blake Richards
Airdrie—Cochrane, Alberta · Conservative · Canada
“Mr. Speaker, on June 12, Filipinos worldwide celebrate Philippine Independence Day. As we celebrate, we recognize the rich history, culture and enduring spirit.”
“Mr. Speaker, by moving this motion, the government is shutting down debate about the very underpinnings of our democracy: our elections. There are a number of concerns that I could have raised. There are some positive things in here.”
“The day also reminds us of the value of freedom that inspired the Philippines' independence movement and continues to inspire people everywhere. On behalf of Canada's Conservatives, I wish all Filipinos a happy independence day, and I look forward to joining in tomorrow's celebrations. Maraming Salamat . Mabuhay .”
“Motion for concurrence moved that the fifth report of the Standing Committee on Veterans Affairs, presented on April 30, be concurred in. He said: Mr. Speaker, I stand today in unity with veterans from all across Canada who have been tirelessly fighting to right a historical wrong.”
“Just a young man, he was sent overseas to fight those responsible for terrorizing not only the people of Afghanistan but also people around the world through horrific attacks like those witnessed on September 11, 2001. It was in Afghanistan where Jess Larochelle made his mark on Canadian history.”
“This example is one that cries for change; it cries for justice. If mistakes were made and new details are brought to light, then mere policy should not stand in the way of honouring a war hero.”
The complete record
Every one of 169 lines we hold for Blake Richards, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 4 of 4.
“He fought on alone, firing rockets and machine guns despite a broken back, broken neck, detached retina, blown eardrum and a severe concussion. He fought on for hours against overwhelming Taliban forces, single-handedly forcing the retreat of a Taliban attack and saving lives in the process. It is heroes like Jess, who should have received the Victoria Cross for his actions, as well as the others I have mentioned and so many more, to whom we owe our freedom. It is a debt that we owe to the families of those who serve our country as well. It is that freedom that we must pledge to uphold at all costs. [ Translation ] It is the least we can do to honour their service and their sacrifices.”
“How many even give a passing thought for those who have served and sacrificed as they drive down the Highway of Heroes, Memorial Drive, Veterans Boulevard, Veterans Memorial Highway or other Canadian roads like them? How many know the stories of our Canadian heroes, like Billy Bishop, Billy Barker, Tommy Prince, Smokey Smith, Léo Major, Jeremiah Jones, Mark Isfeld, Nichola Goddard, Ashley Collette and Jess Larochelle? Let me take a moment to paint a picture of what a true hero looks like. On October 14, 2006, Private Jess Larochelle was knocked unconscious when the forward observation post that he was manning was hit directly by the Taliban. When he came to, two soldiers were dead and three others were wounded.”
“They represent someone's brother, sister, mother, father, aunt, uncle or cousin, people with hopes, dreams and aspirations that will never be realized, all so we could live freely today. How many of us pause in remembrance on July 27 for our Korean War veterans or on March 31 each year to reflect on the commitment of the over 40,000 who served our nation in Afghanistan? How many attend a ceremony on the Sunday closest to August 9 to honour National Peacekeepers' Day, offer discounts to veterans at their businesses, or, when they see a veteran's licence plate at the grocery store, stop to shake their hand and say a simple thanks for their service?”
“It is the same freedom and democracy that I would argue we take far too much for granted here in Canada. That speaks to our need to show a much deeper commitment to remembrance. It cannot be about just one day or week, not for our government or for all Canadians, because it must be reflected in our actions. [ Translation ] Of course, most of us wear a poppy for two weeks in November, and many folks even attend a ceremony in their community on November 11 to honour our fallen soldiers. [ English ] How many of us pause each year on April 9, Vimy Ridge Day, to reflect on the sacrifices of the 66,349 Canadians who made the ultimate sacrifice during World War I? How many of us pay our respects on VE Day, May 8, for the 42,042 who laid down their lives during World War II? Remember that these are not just numbers or statistics.”
“Madam Speaker, today is about freedom and remembrance. As we approach Remembrance Day, I will speak about the commitment we all must make as Canadians, the commitment to uphold our freedoms and the commitment to remembrance of all those who served and sacrificed for those freedoms. [ Translation ] Those two commitments are closely linked. Without the service of our military personnel, we would have no freedom, so that service deserves to be remembered. [ English ] Without the 118,000 Canadian men and women who have laid down their lives for our freedom, without the thousands more who have come back forever changed and without all of the more than two million soldiers, sailors and aircrew who have served our country in uniform, we would not have the freedom, democracy or liberty we enjoy today.”
“Mr. Speaker, I am proud to present a petition today that recognizes that when a Canadian serves Canada, their families serve with them. Constant moves around the country disrupt a family's ability to establish deep roots and community connections, and it hurts career growth prospects for spouses. The undersigned call on the government to recognize the critical role that families play for our service members and our RCMP, and call on the government to extend mental health benefits to these family members, who sacrifice so much to support our men and women in uniform.”
“She also leaves the organization in good hands with a strong foundation and a very clear vision for the future, which is a community where no one is hungry. As we go into the holiday season, l would like to remind everyone that food banks need our help all year long. In the spirit of Lori's legacy, I remind everyone to please give what they can so that no one ever goes hungry. I wish Lori a long and joyful retirement with more time spent with her wonderful family. She has more than earned it.”
“Mr. Speaker, today, I would like to recognize the incredible legacy being left behind by the Airdrie Food Bank's executive director, Lori McRitchie, as she takes her well-earned retirement after more than two decades of tireless work in making sure that no one in our community ever goes hungry. From the small beginnings of a school breakfast program, which eventually merged with the food bank and turned into a dedicated, purpose-built facility designed to help families in need, Lori has been there through every iteration of the food bank, constantly adapting to the ever-changing needs of a growing city. She has demonstrated visionary leadership and unwavering compassion. She has had a profound impact on the fabric of our community.”
“Until he gets out of the way or removes his job-killing regulations, Canada will continue to fall further and further behind. How can the Prime Minister say that he is fighting for Canadians when he is funding the U.S. President's war on Canadian workers?”
“Mr. Speaker, while the Liberal government claims to be fighting a trade war, its policies are directly helping the Americans. Due to their job-killing policies, like the west coast tanker ban, the oil and gas cap and others, the Liberals have caused many Canadian companies to invest billions of dollars in the United States rather than here at home, because, as the CEO of Enbridge said, “No company would build a pipeline to nowhere.” The Prime Minister told Canadians that he would unleash national projects and bring new revenue into Canada to help ease the pain of Canadians, but he has done the exact opposite. Like his predecessor Justin Trudeau, the Prime Minister makes grand statements but takes no action, and action speaks much louder than words.”
“When we look behind those stats, it is people who have been victimized, and they have been victimized by the same offenders who continue to reoffend over and over again, only because of the policies of the government that allow them back out on the street with what is called a revolving door justice system. There is not even much justice in the system at all, and that is shameful. It is something the government could do something about today. It could support us on this particular piece of legislation that we are talking about, but—”
“What we are talking about is scrapping the Liberal bail policy and putting in place jail not bail, for people who commit crimes over and over again in our communities, make our communities unsafe for people and create more victims. The reality is that, at the end of the day, what we are talking about is keeping people safe from crime and making sure that there are no more victims. I cannot imagine how anyone could possibly have sat here today, listened to the debate and heard all the examples that were given of people who have lost their life, of children who have been sexually assaulted, and of home invasions. All these things happened because of the Liberals' policy of allowing bail for serious criminals over and over again. The crime stats have been cited many times today.”
“Madam Speaker, it is an honour to wrap up the debate today, and I think what I would like to do with the little time I have is point out that there have been a number of examples given today of victims of crime in this country, and to say that I really hope that members of the Liberal government were listening to all those examples, because the lives of the people in them, whether they were people who were murdered, children who were sexually assaulted or people whose homes had been invaded, will be changed forever. In some cases, people have lost family members. That has all happened because of the bail policy of the Liberal government.”
“Mr. Speaker, at the outset of her speech, the member mentioned that she felt the pain of those who are victimized by crime, but she failed to address that with the vast majority of victims of crime, the crime is caused by those who are out on bail. These are repeat offenders who continue to offend over and over again. At the end of her speech, she talked about how crime must be dealt with firmly. If she really believes that, she will support us in scrapping Liberal bail. Will the member support the our efforts to scrap Liberal bail so that we can actually get tough on crime in this country?”
“Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister is just another bait-and-switch Liberal. He has broken promise after promise after promise, and it is hurting Canadians. His massive Liberal deficits are leading to an even worse cost of living crisis than we had under Justin Trudeau. Canadians can barely afford even a can of soup, especially because inflation has driven the cost of a can of soup up 26%, or a can of tuna, which is up 19%. Is it not true that the Prime Minister is just another Liberal who is only good at one thing: breaking promises?”
“Mr. Speaker, this is anything but normal. This is the Liberals trying to hide their own incompetence. They misled Canadians by not factoring in currency exchanges, inflation and project delays to pretend that they were saving costs, when in fact the F-35s were 50% over budget, because of the Liberals' incompetence. Worse yet, Trudeau's minister responsible for this creative accounting was promoted by the current Prime Minister . Is it not true that the Liberals' so-called new defence spending is actually just the costs they were hiding from Canadians all along?”
“Mr. Speaker, yesterday the Auditor General released a scathing report about the Liberal government's mismanagement of the F-35 contract. The Liberals flipped, they flopped and then they flipped again. Now they are trying to hide the real costs of their incompetence. How can the men and women of the Canadian Armed Forces trust that the Prime Minister will actually deliver on his defence promises when it is clear that his own ministers are willing to mislead Canadians when it comes to defence?”
“Mr. Speaker, well, the minister can use all the nice words he wants, but they mean nothing without action, and nothing gets built without removing the barriers: Trudeau's Bill C-69 , his west coast shipping ban, his oil and gas cap and the industrial carbon tax. The Prime Minister claimed that he is the man with the plan, but his plan for the oil and gas sector seems to be the same anti-energy approach as Justin Trudeau's. It is time for the Prime Minister to be honest with Canadians. If he cannot even find consensus among his own cabinet, how is he going to approve a pipeline?”
“Mr. Speaker, words do not build pipelines; actions do, actions like scrapping Trudeau's Bill C-69 , his west coast shipping ban, the industrial carbon tax and the Liberal energy cap. However, the radical NDP premier and the radicals in the federal Liberal cabinet are doing all that they can to keep these policies in place and to block pipelines from getting built. Will the Prime Minister reverse all these Trudeau-era policies and make sure he shows that he is not just another wolf in sheep's clothing looking to kill our oil and gas industry?”