Wild Rose MP Blake Richards brought one local family’s tragic story to the House of Commons Nov. 20, along with a petition calling for stricter penalties for drunk drivers.
The petition is calling for mandatory maximum sentences for drunk drivers who cause death, and is the outcome of public outcry after Brandon Thomas, a 17-year-old student from Cochrane High School, was killed as a result of a head-on collision with an alleged drunk driver Dec. 6, 2012. The accused, Ryan Jordan Gibson, 22, of Calgary, is facing six offences and is expected to appear for a preliminary hearing in January 2014.
“I was saddened to inform the House of Commons of the circumstances behind the tragic death of Brandon Thomas, son to Kim Thomas and one of my constituents from Cochrane,” Richards said.
The petition – which collected “thousands of signatures” - was presented after question period, and Richards said he believes that the impact of Thomas’s story hit hard for other MPs listening.
“There were a lot of people that when I started to talk about Kim (Thomas) and her work and her son (Brandon), people noticed,” he said.
“For anyone that sits in Parliament, we’ve unfortunately all heard these stories, and I think it’s something we can’t help but feel for.”
Richards’ work with Families for Justice – an awareness group that works to get tougher penalties for drunk drivers – has been tireless, according to Kim.
“I am more than overwhelmed with the support that he has given,” she told the Rocky View Weekly via telephone after the petition was presented. “He has been one of the few - and I’ve written to all Alberta MPs - that took up the cause and we are very thankful for him.”
Kim and her family are hopeful the petition will result in changes to the current drunk driving laws, and along with Families for Justice, will continue to educate residents on the danger of driving while impaired.
“When you look at the news, it’s every day people are losing their lives to impaired driving,” she said. “He (Richards) realizes that it is a problem and we thank him for everything he’s done.”
In 2010, Richards led a nationwide petition drive that called for changes to the national pardons system, which culminated in the passing of Bill C-23A, the Limiting Pardons for Serious Crimes Act. The Act extends the ineligibility periods for certain applications for a pardon. It also enables the National Parole Board to consider additional factors when deciding whether to grant a pardon for certain offences.
