Municipal Affairs and Housing critic Lorelei Nicoll will be tabling an amendment to the Emergency Management Act today that would require the government to respond to applications for disaster relief within 72 hours.

After a severe storm this past November, residents of Antigonish and Cape Breton were left waiting for three weeks before the Houston government opened the Disaster Financial Assistance Program. Because the government dragged its heels, many residents did not see funds in their bank accounts until the new year.

When a historic rainfall hit Cape Breton in 2016, the Liberal government had funds out the door within three days to the tune of $500,000 – helping thousands of residents who were in dire need of emergency assistance immediately.

“People who are dealing with the adverse effects of a disaster should not have to wait months to see help from their government – they should see it immediately,” says Nicoll. “With this bill, Nova Scotians will never have to worry about getting the support they need again.”