Banff-Airdrie Member of Parliament Blake Richards has been appointed Shadow Minister of Veterans’ Affairs by newly minted federal Conservative Party leader Pierre Poilievre.
The Shadow Minister for Veterans’ Affairs is tasked with holding the Liberal Party government to account on veterans’ issues, advocating for pertinent policy solutions, and engaging with veterans and the organizations that represent them.
This marks Richards’ first appointment as the Conservative Party’s shadow minister for the veterans’ affairs portfolio.
“It’s always been an issue that I felt drawn to,” said Richards in a statement released to local news outlets following his appointment. “For me, it’s a matter of gratitude. Veterans have sacrificed a lot to preserve our liberty and security. When these men and women are finished serving, it becomes our collective responsibility as a nation to ensure they are supported and have the resources they and their families need.”
Richards previously served as Chief Opposition Whip under former CPC leader Erin O’Toole. He was removed from the role by former interim CPC leader Candice Bergen.
In his new role, Richards will not only have to take the Liberal government to task on veterans’ policy, he will also have to articulate his own party’s policies on the issue. The previous Conservative Party government under Stephen Harper had a notoriously difficult relationship with veterans’ advocacy groups, due to what many veterans perceived as gaps and omissions in Harper’s New Veterans’ Charter (NVC).
According to the Royal Canadian Legion’s Dominion Command, many of those gaps and omissions still haven't fully been addressed after seven years of Liberal government. That’s despite the announcement of a “Pension for Life” option in 2017, which the NVC had excluded for certain injured veterans in favour of a one-time payout instead – a major point of contention veterans’ advocates had had with the previous Harper government.
Dominion Command has laid out three main concerns on its national website it would like to see the current government take action on.
First, according to the Legion, the information provided by the government around the new Pain and Suffering Compensation, implemented April 1, 2019, is not clear.
“It is unclear if gaps will remain in a disabled veteran’s lifelong financial security,” it states.
Second, it adds, information provided by the government around the new Additional Pain and Suffering Compensation, implemented April 1, 2019, is not clear.
“Three grades of compensation have been identified, but there are no details on how those grades are calculated,” Dominion Command states.
And third, the Legion states, information provided by the government around the Income Replacement Benefit, implemented April 1, 2019, is not clear.
“There are no details on what the adjustments will be for eligible veterans who have not yet served a full career in the military,” it says.
In summary, Royal Canadian Legion Dominion Command says that while it commends some of the Liberal government's recent progress on addressing its longstanding issues with the New Veterans’ Charter, there is more work to do.
“We’re not 100 per cent there yet, including achieving lifelong financial security and definitive financial support for (military) families,” it states.
In his release, Richards said as shadow minister for the veterans portfolio, he intends to be proactive on the concerns of veterans.
“There is a tremendous responsibility that comes with this role,” the MP acknowledged. “There’s a lot more that we need to be doing for our veterans.
“Going forward, it’s my job to amplify their voices, and make sure their concerns and frustrations are being heard and taken seriously in Ottawa … We’ve all heard stories of veterans who can’t get the support they need. They might be struggling with an injury, a sickness, or mental health challenges.
“Everywhere they turn, they are met with delays and rejections, and they often end up falling through the cracks. This has been going on for too long, and we need to see some real improvements.”
