B.C. Conservatives would save millions by shutting down Pacific Carbon Trust

VANCOUVER – The BC Conservative Party says it is committed to shutting down the Pacific Carbon Trust, saying it wastes nearly $20 million in taxpayers’ dollars every year.

Leader John Cummins calls the trust a corporate welfare system that takes money from important programs and services in B.C. to subsidize eco-friendly corporate projects.

Cummins says he agrees with the B.C. auditor general’s assessment that the Crown corporation is a sham.

The leader says in 2011, about 70 per cent of the government’s carbon offsets were purchased by school districts, hospitals and post-secondary institutions and he would rather see that money go back into education and health care.

Under his Conservative plan, Cummins says those institutions would save $14 million, allowing them to provide more services to B.C. residents.

In a report released last month, Auditor General John Doyle called the program smoke a mirrors, but the report was quickly rejected by the Liberal government and Doyle was criticized for ignoring the views of experts with views contrary to Doyle’s.