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Edmonton-area MP Rona Ambrose, the interim Conservative leader, offered rare praise for the Liberal government move.

“For things to happen quickly, everyone has to come together around the table very fast and start to make decisions to move things forward, so that’s the right approach,” said Ambrose.

The Red Cross announced that it would distribute $50-million in donations directly to evacuees within the next 48 hours, while the Alberta government is setting up a debit card system for registered evacuees.

The federal Disaster Financial Assistance Arrangements — a 46-year-old program that uses a formula to provide funds to provinces in the case of major natural disasters — will automatically kick in to cover uninsured losses. The parliamentary budget office warned in February that the program is chronically underfunded, with payouts expected to average more than $900 million annually over the next five years. while only $100 million a year is earmarked to go into the fund.

Ottawa is also fast-tracking employment insurance claims from displaced Fort McMurray workers, many of whom have dispersed across the country.

“We haven’t looked at the financial implications,” said Employment Minister MaryAnn Mihychuk. “EI is to be there when people need it, and the folks at Fort McMurray definitely need it, so we’re stepping up.”

The Alberta premier, in her daily update on the fire situation on Wednesday, made a direct and pointed appeal for Trudeau to extend enhanced EI provisions to the Edmonton region, noting last week’s April employment report shows that the city now qualifies — a situation made worse by the influx of unemployed fire evacuees.

“We are well past the point of justifying the need for the Edmonton area to be included under the new rules for EI,” said Notley.

The longer term reconstruction of Fort McMurray will require deeper pockets and multiple levels of government.

Hehr, the committee chair, told The Canadian Press the committee’s job is to “look after the rebuilding of Fort Mac … in both the short and the long term.”

He said the people of the community are owed that, but it’s also important to the economic health of the country.