Conservatives make major cut to disaster relief for provinces

Last week, the Conservatives quietly revealed a change that will massively cut funding to provinces and communities that are hit by disasters.

“It’s shocking that the Conservatives are moving with no warning and no consultation to make it more difficult for provinces to get disaster relief, just as scientists are telling us that climate change will increase extreme weather events,” said NDP Public Safety critic Randall Garrison (Esquimalt – Juan de Fuca).

“It’s reprehensible to cut money from a disaster relief program that helps Canadian communities when they’re most vulnerable, just so the Conservatives can pay for a costly income splitting plan that only benefits the wealthiest,” added Garrison.

The Conservatives announced that they will raise the threshold for disasters to qualify for Disaster Financial Assistance Arrangements from one million dollars to three million dollars. If the new rules were retroactively applied, New Brunswick would have received no aid for the 2005 flooding disaster that forced dozens of evacuations; and Winnipeg would have been left alone to face the 2010 flooding which damaged over 600 homes.