Justin Tang/CP NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh speaks to reporters on Parliament Hill on March 19, 2019.

Jagmeet Singh appears to be walking back support for a major liquified natural gas project in British Columbia that has the backing of that province's NDP government. Singh spoke to reporters outside of the House of Commons Monday to introduce an NDP motion calling on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to declare a climate emergency, end subsidies to the fossil fuel industry, and scrap the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion project. The federal NDP leader also pledged to make massive cuts to Canada's greenhouse gas emissions over the next decade if his party forms government after this October's election. He was asked how he could reduce emissions in light of his support for the $40-billion LNG Canada project in northern B.C., which involves hydraulic fracturing or fracking, a pipeline, and export facility. "LNG involves fracking, fracking means more emissions," a reporter noted. Singh said he has made it clear that "the future of Canada does not include fracking" or relying on fossil fuels as an energy source.

Speaking on his party's climate change motion, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh is asked about the LNG Canada project, which the B.C. NDP govt supports: "I do not believe fracking is the future of Canada & I believe that fossil fuels are not the future energy source for Canada." #cdnpolipic.twitter.com/vpbcD6WZuC — CPAC (@CPAC_TV) May 13, 2019

Pressed further on how he squares his earlier support for the LNG project with his opposition to fracking, Singh lauded the B.C. government's plan to fight climate change. "But I want to make it clear in terms of my values and my priorities," he said. "As leader of the New Democratic Party... I do not believe that fracking or fossil fuels (are) the future of our country." Asked directly if he supports the initiative or not, Singh said that he has always maintained that "the project has problems." Resource projects need to be in line with climate change goals, respect Indigenous rights and create jobs, he said. "It has not satisfied all of those criteria," he said. Singh confirmed support for project months ago Singh had a much different answer when asked about the LNG project during an interview with CTV's "Question Period" in January. The NDP leader was, at the time, set to run in a byelection in B.C.'s Burnaby South. Host Evan Solomon noted that a planned pipeline to support the LNG project has the support of Indigenous communities along the route. "I ask you a simple question: do you as the leader of the NDP support this LNG pipeline?" Solomon asked at the time. "Yeah, I've already mentioned my support for this project given the fact that they've done consultation in a very meaningful way, broadly speaking," Singh said. "As you mentioned the vast majority of Indigenous elected bands and chiefs have all shown support and the consultation process was done in a very meaningful way, very much in line with what we'd like to see going forward." You can watch that exchange at the 3:07 mark in the video below: