Alberta Finance Minister Ted Morton also quits post
Calgary, Alberta, Canada (AHN) – Alberta Finance Minister Ted Morton has joined Premier Ed Stelmach in resigning from his post. Morton announced his departure Thursday, just two days after Stelmach said he would step down from office soon and not seek reelection.
Unlike Stelmach who is retiring from politics, Morton plans to move up the political ladder. Morton said his resignation takes effect immediately for him to concentrate on his bid to replace Stelmach as party leader of the Progressive Conservatives in the oil sands-rich province.
Morton added that aside from planning to lead the Tories, he would also merge the ruling party with the Wildrose Alliance. The alliance’s officials dismissed Morton’s ambition to merge the two parties.
Stelmach appointed Lloyd Snelgrove to replace Morton. Snelgrove, being a long-time friend of the premier, is expected to cooperate with Stelmach in proposing a budget with no major cuts. Morton wanted to include deep service cuts to balance Alberta’s books as soon as possible.
A veteran Tory opined that the series of events would probably lead to a provincial election, at the latest by June 15. Stelmach did not provide a timetable for stepping down, except that he would pass a budget before he left office.
Despite Morton’s resignation as Finance Minister, he kept his post as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta.
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