Business As Usual, for now.

Premier Ralph Klein outlined today in his press conference his decision to retire earlier than he had originally planned, due to the results of the Leadership Review vote at the AGM.

The Premier said that he was touched by the tremendous show of support from cacaus and from Albertans (of whom more than 800 had written to him expressing their support) and that he will stay to see his priorites for this session through to completion.

Premier Klein has decided that in Septemeber he will submit a letter to the party urging they organize and convene a Party Leadership Contest which he suspects will take place in October and November (but that timeline will be up to the Party). As soon as the successor is chosen he will then resign as Leader and as Premier.

Premier Klein said he was disappointed with the results of the vote but refused to point fingers or place any blame, saying that was not in the best interests of the Party, the government or Alberta.

He outlined his priorites as such:

• Health Care Reform


• Cancer Legacy Fund


• Intergrated Energy Policy (making sure Alberta remains an energy leader)


• Better relations with the new federal government (especially in areas of senate reform)


• Leaving Alberta in better shape that it was when he started

The Premier said the thing he will miss the most is meeting Albertans. "The people of Alberta are why I entered politics, and the reason I stay" he said in the press conference today.

We are going to miss him too.