Federal Liberals support Muskrat Falls project: Rae

Interim federal Liberal Leader Bob Rae is throwing his support behind the Muskrat Falls project.

"Newfoundland is rich in hydro-electricity, and it's not right that hydro-electricity should be cooped up in one of part of the country and not be able to be used for Newfoundlanders and in the rest of the country," Rae told On Point host David Cochrane. 

"The economics of it will always have to be assessed by people who are ready to assess it, and to finance it and to pay for it."

Rae is in the province this week to help boost his provincial Liberal colleagues. He said he didn’t believe there was a disconnect between the federal view of the project, and provincial Liberals who have been critical of it.

"I think that what's important is that the provincial Liberals are doing their job because they are the people on the ground who are going to have to be assessing exactly how much it’s going to cost, and how it’s going to be financed."

Rae told Cochrane that the federal government has a lot of work to do to knit the country together, including providing leadership on a national energy policy.

"No province is an island, if you’ll pardon the pun," he said. "No province is on its own. Yes, provinces have important provincial responsibilities ... I respect provincial jurisdiction."

"I agree with Premier Alison Redford of Alberta who said we need a national energy policy. We do," said Rae.

He said Harper is not doing a good job of communicating with the provinces or the premiers about how his measures will impact budgets and people, namely the recent changes to employment insurance and old-age security.