"It is very careless politics, feeding forces of friction between provinces, confirming suspicions that Central Canadian mandarins are not really all that convinced that this is a national problem at all, Rex Murphy says of the federal reaction to Albertas crisis.

"It is going to get a lot more difficult politically and otherwise to sideline those who support Alberta oil, and the days of semi-apology for even being in the oil industry are done." Rex Murphy, after a visit to Fort McMurray.

"There never should have been the need for the buyout. It is a crazy outcome to a crazy situation."