B.C. chops carbon trust, capital commission in first step to save $50 million

VANCOUVER – British Columbia will move its much-maligned Pacific Carbon Trust into the government fold, saving $5.6 million annually toward the Liberals’ goal of $50 million in government spending cuts.

Bill Bennett, the minister in charge of a core review of government services, says staff will be reduced from 18 to five when the trust is wound up and the carbon offset program will be transferred to the climate action secretariat within the Environment Ministry.

Bennett says the government will also dissolve the Provincial Capital Commission because its cultural events and property management activities overlap with other departments.

He says the government will continue the commission outreach programs, but closing the commission will save $1 million annually.

The two agencies are the first to fall under a sweeping core review process looking at 90 government agencies in an effort to find $50 million in savings by the fiscal year 2014-2015.

Bennett says the documents that suggested changes to the Agricultural Land Commission were part of that review, but cabinet has no plans to dismantle the arm’s length agency.