Stelmach shuffles cabinet

Alberta Premier Ed Stelmach promoted two legislative members to his cabinet Thursday after leadership hopefuls resigned in recent days to chase his job.

Verlyn Olson of Wetaskiwin-Camrose was named Minister of Justice, replacing Alison Redford, while Greg Weadick from Lethbridge West was named Minister of Advanced Education, to replace Doug Horner.

Horner and Redford stepped down to take a run at the leadership of the PC party.

Stelmach also named Red Deer-South MLA Cal Dallas as the Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Finance, where he will work with new Finance Minister Lloyd Snelgrove.

Snelgrove was sworn in as Minister of Finance and Enterprise on Jan. 31.

"I'm pleased to welcome Verlyn and Greg to the cabinet table," Stelmach said in a statement. "Verlyn and Greg bring the necessary talent and experience - Greg as a parliamentary assistant and Verlyn as a long-time member of the bar - to complete our cabinet team. Our cabinet will continue to provide the steady leadership required right now to continue building a better Alberta."

Stelmach, who replaced Ralph Klein as Alberta Conservative Party leader in December 2006, said in late January that he would not seek re-election. His successor is expected to be chosen later this year.

Stelmach was forced to make the cabinet changes in advance of a new session of the legislature and budget next week.

The new cabinet members are expected to be sworn in Friday morning.

Stelmach believes this may be the end of the cabinet resignations, so with some sense of stability in the months ahead, the time was right to fill the vacancies.

"You just don't put your name forward and say I'm here for the leadership," he said prior to the shuffle. "There's a lot of work that goes in. It's going to be a long summer for all the candidates to travel to every corner of the province. They're going to be eating a lot of steak and beans I'm sure during the barbecue season."

Former Justice Minister Redford confirmed Wednesday she will be campaigning for the top spot, while Battle River-Wainwright MLA and junior finance minister Doug Griffiths said Tuesday that he is also running for the leadership of the Alberta Progressive Conservative Party. Griffiths, 38, has been an MLA since 2002.

Meanwhile Horner, who was deputy premier and advanced education minister, resigned from cabinet last Friday but will remain the MLA for Spruce Grove-Sturgeon-St. Albert.