Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my questions today are for the Minister of MACA as mentioned in my statement.
Can the Minister explain what documents residents must show to demonstrate prior refusal for insurance in order to be as eligible for the disaster assistance program? Thank you.
Thank you, Member from Frame Lake. Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Residents who are obtaining insurance must obtain documents from their insurance company to state that what their insurance covers. And I think it's important for all residents that, you know, we all look at our insurance documents. They're pretty thick, and I'm sure probably most of us here have never read the fine lines of the insurance documents. I know I have after the last couple years. But it's important to go through them and get the information you need out of your insurance documents. If you have documents that are showing that you're refused uncertain coverage, it's important to have those ready. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, what is MACA doing to help residents understand the steps that they need to follow in order to have proper insurance documentation? Certainly, I have residents I'd like to get this message out to. So what can I share with them, Mr. Speaker? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I know the last year we've -- MACA has done a good job promoting the Be Ready campaign which also included making sure that you have insurance available for your assets. We have staff, like the Pathfinders, who work with residents to make sure they have their documents or assist them in getting documents from insurance companies. So it's important that, you know, residents reach out and even just work with Pathfinders that are available to see what they need. So thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And if the Minister doesn't mind following up with an e-mail or something with some information I can share with residents, I'd appreciate it.
Mr. Speaker, the issue of affordability seems to be one of the most difficult items. Can the Minister describe how residents who can't afford insurance in particular need to document their efforts to obtain eligibility for disaster assistance? Is there something that can be done to help residents who simply can't afford the insurance quotes that they're receiving and are not necessarily being refused? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The issue of affordability is getting to be worse. It's not just -- you know, it used to be hard to get insurance for some folks, and now it's continuing to be harder and harder for most of us to get insurance for certain things. And that just relates to a lot of the disasters that have happened throughout Canada. You know, with the affordability, you know, there's documentation that's needed to show that it's not affordable for them to have insurance. You know, if you can't afford it, make sure you have that documentation so that it can help you in an event of emergency and disaster, the DFAA may be applied if it's not affordable. So when it comes down to the insurance, I know it's tough, but DFAA is really strict on the fact of affordability is not necessarily a point of coverage. So thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister for Municipal and Community Affairs. Final supplementary. Member from Frame Lake.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And it seems the Minister is identifying a bit of a gray area here that I think we need to dig further into, and certainly I'll be doing that with research over the coming months preparing for the next session.
Mr. Speaker, has the Minister considered what measurements the government might be able to take to assist residents who are unable to obtain insurance due to affordability considering the federal government doesn't necessarily consider this to be reason enough to make residents eligible for disaster assistance? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The territorial government is on a working group with the federal government that is talking about insurance and affordability, also insurance coverage that is not available. For an example, some flood insurance is not available depending on the type of flood. So there is a working group out there to work on insurance coverage. And to mention to the point of the gray area, there is a lot of confusion about insurance and what can and cannot be covered. So there is a federal working group, and the government is part of it. Also, I believe the NWTAC is also part of that working group. So thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs. Oral questions. Member from Yellowknife North.
