Lee Richardson (politician): Difference between revisions
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Richardson is a widower with three adult children. |
Richardson is a widower with three adult children. |
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==$185,000 grant controversy== |
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On March 31, 2009, a $185,000 grant was awarded to Streetlight Intelligence Ltd, a company of which Richardson is chairman.<ref>http://www2.nrcan.gc.ca/dgc-dposc/index.cfm?fuseaction=r.d&lang=ENG&fisc=2008-2009&qrt=04&id=2635&strt=1</ref> Richardson has denied knowledge of the grant.<ref>http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/canada/breakingnews/liberals-want-probe-into-grant-to-firm-with-tory-mp-on-board-89160317.html</ref> |
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==Linking immigrants to crime controversy== |
==Linking immigrants to crime controversy== |
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Revision as of 15:53, 15 April 2011
Lee Richardson | |
|---|---|
| File:Lee Richardson in 2009.jpg | |
| Member of Parliament for Calgary Centre | |
| Assumed office 2004 | |
| Preceded by | Joe Clark |
| Member of Parliament for Calgary Southeast | |
| In office 1988–1993 | |
| Preceded by | Constituency established |
| Succeeded by | Jan Brown |
| Personal details | |
| Born | October 31, 1947 North Battleford, Saskatchewan |
| Political party | Conservative |
| Residence | Calgary |
| Profession | Business Administration |
Lee Richardson (born October 31, 1947 in North Battleford, Saskatchewan) is a Canadian politician. He is a member of the Canadian House of Commons, representing the riding of Calgary Centre for the Conservative Party of Canada. He was first elected to parliament in the 1988 election as a Progressive Conservative representing the riding of Calgary Southeast. In 1993, he lost his seat to a candidate of the Reform Party.
He returned to politics in 2004, running in Calgary Centre, which had previously been held by PC leader Joe Clark. He was re-elected in 2006, capturing 55.4 percent of the vote and a 20,000 vote plurality [1] and once again in 2008, capturing 55.6 percent of the vote.[2] He serves as Chair of the House of Commons Standing Committee on International Trade in the current session of parliament.
Early career
Prior to entering Parliament in 1988, Richardson was Deputy Chief of Staff in the Prime Minister's Office, and Special Advisor to the Prime Minister on Western Affairs. From 1979 to 1983, Richardson was Chief of Staff to Alberta Premier Peter Lougheed. As a parliamentarian, Richardson served as Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Communications, and as Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Transport. He was instrumental in relocating the National Energy Board to Calgary and placing the Calgary International Airport under local authority.
He is President of Lee Richardson Financial Corporation. He is Chairman of the Board of STI Streetlight Intelligence, a publicly traded technology company.
He served as a director of the 1988 Winter Olympics and on the board of Southminster United Church. He was Chair of the Advisory Board to the University of Calgary Institute for the Humanities and was on the faculty of the Banff Centre for Management for ten years. He is on the Calgary Stampede Board of Directors and is a Calgary Flames Ambassador. Richardson received the Queen Elizabeth Medal in 1977 "in recognition of significant contribution to compatriots, community and to Canada.",[3] the Canada Medal in 1992 and the Alberta Centennial Medal in 2005
Richardson is a widower with three adult children.
Linking immigrants to crime controversy
On September 25, 2008, Richardson made controversial statements suggesting that immigrants were to blame for much of the crime activity in Calgary. Richardson announced, "Talk to the police. Look at who's committing these crimes, they're not the kid that grew up next door," to Fast Forward Weekly when asked about gun violence in Calgary. Both Liberals and NDP demanded his resignation. He expressed no regret for the words he chose, insisting that he meant to talk about the, "youth gangs in the cities," and this only when called back and asked if he would like to clarify his statements. He offers no apology or any sign of resignation. Sgt. Bill Dodd of the Calgary Police Service diversity resources unit said the service doesn't track statistics on where the city's criminals hail from. His 16 years as a city cop, however, tells him immigrants shouldn't be blamed for crime woes.[4][5] Canada's Prime Minister Stephen Harper defended Richardson, calling the reporting "gotcha journalism" for taking his comments out of their intended context.[6]
References
- ^ http://www2.parl.gc.ca/Sites/LOP/HFER/hfer.asp?Language=E&Search=Cresdetail&Election=12312
- ^ http://www.elections.ca/scripts/pss/candidates.aspx?L=e&ED=48006&EV=31&EV_TYPE=1&PC=T2T4M8&Prov=&ProvID=&MapID=&QID=8&PageID=17&TPageID=
- ^ http://www.calgarycentreconservatives.ca/admin/contentx/default.cfm?PageId=4
- ^ CTV News. "Tory candidate blames immigrants for crime". Retrieved 2008-09-25.
- ^ The Vancouver Sun. "Calgary Tory offers no apology for immigrant-crime comment". Retrieved 2008-09-25.
- ^ Fekete, Jason (2008-09-26). "Harper rejects calls for Calgary Tory candidate's resignation". Calgary Herald. Retrieved 2008-09-26.
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