The B.C. government says an acting merit commissioner will ensure the province’s public service employees “experience no service interruptions” while the role transitions to the Public Service Agency.
The decision by the province to dissolve the merit commissioner’s independent office was revealed on Feb. 17 as part of B.C.’s Budget 2026. Finance Minister Brenda Bailey said the office’s duties will be internally taken over by the Public Service Agency.
Former merit commissioner David McCoy’s term ended Tuesday (March 10). His term was already scheduled to end.
The Finance Ministry announced Tuesday that Tracy Campbell has been selected as acting commissioner for the transition. The information bulletin says Campbell, a retired public servant, has served as an assistant deputy minister and executive financial officer.
As part of her interim role, she will oversee the finalization and publication of the annual report in progress.
The ministry says that when the transfer is complete, the Public Service Agency will provide staffing reviews, quality assurance and annual public reporting for the B.C. public service.
The reintegration of these services into the Public Agency is “projected to reduce costs, improve access to services for government workers and align B.C. with the practices of all provinces in Canada,” the release adds.
The role of the commissioner’s office was previously carried out by the Public Service Agency prior to 2006.
The role of B.C. merit commissioner was created in 2001 and made into an independent office of the legislature in 2005, with a mandate to audit public service hires. The commissioner gained the power to examine dismissals in 2018 after the release of a report from ombudsperson Jay Chalke investigating the 2012 wrongful dismissal of eight people from the health ministry.
Shortly after the release of the budget, Bailey said it was time to get rid of the commissioner’s office because it was created to protect against political patronage, something the most recent audit found no evidence of.
However, McCoy said that many other problems were identified, including errors in the short-listing process and unqualified or unverified hires.
The Finance Ministry’s bulletin Tuesday said the Public Service Agency is similar to the Office of the Merit Commissioner and “does not make hiring decisions about employees in individual ministries.”
– With files from Mark Page