OTTAWA — The federal government appears set to walk away from Liberal agreements that would have given the provinces millions of dollars to cut greenhouse gas emissions.

A spokesman for Environment Minister Rona Ambrose indicated Thursday the Conservatives don't feel bound by the previous government's Kyoto-related undertakings.

The Liberals had promised $538 million to Ontario and $328 million to Quebec for cutting greenhouse gas emissions. Memorandums of understanding had also been reached with Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and Saskatchewan.

"Obviously with the new government things are being restructured in terms of funding for the provinces," Ambrose's press secretary Ryan Sparrow said in an interview.

There will be money for the provinces under a new clean-air initiative being developed, but the amounts have not been determined, he said.

"We have a made-in-Canada plan and money will be designated to certain projects based on our made-in-Canada plan.

"The final structure has not been finalized so we can't comment on the specific dollar figures in terms of how it's going to be played out so in terms of what each province is getting, we can't comment at this time."

A spokeswoman for Ontario Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Marie Bountrogianni said Ontario expects its agreement with the previous government to be honoured.

Ontario had planned to use the lion's share of its money to shut down high-polluting coal-fired power plants.

Quebec Environment Minister Claude Bechard has demanded that the new government deliver $328 million on the same terms as received by Ontario, and has sought to rally other provinces on the issue.

Asked whether Quebec will get the money, Sparrow said, "We've invested $1.3 billion in public transit and Quebec will receive part of that $1.3 billion."

NDP Leader Jack Layton condemned the Conservative move.

"The first shock was that they...abandoned our commitments on Kyoto, and then they abandon our commitments to the provinces, that were already set in motion. It's a huge setback."

Former environment minister Stephane Dion said the Conservatives' decision to redirect the money is legal but morally wrong: "They are playing with the future of our children."

Dion said that Conservatives have killed a plan to supply Prince Edward Island electricity entirely from wind power by 2015. "When I went there they said, 'No, there is no deal anymore.' So it's a bit the same story everywhere."

The Conservatives have promised their own clean-air plan but have given few hints about how it will work, when it will be ready or what kind of investments it may involve.