Kamamalu blog

Alberta finance minister quitting: reports

CALGARY, Alberta (Reuters) – Alberta's finance minister has resigned from cabinet, several media outlets reported on Thursday, just two days after Conservative Premier Ed Stelmach announced he is stepping down.

Ted Morton, the finance minister, and Stelmach were due to hold a media briefing at 3:30 p.m. The two had reportedly been at odds over the oil-rich province's upcoming deficit budget, with Morton said to be calling for deep spending cuts.

With its vast oil sands reserves, Alberta is one of the top energy suppliers to the United States.

There has been much speculation that Morton, a fiscal hawk, would run for leadership of the Progressive Conservative Party, whose fortunes in the polls have waned under Stelmach due to the government's handling of the province's health care system and its tumultuous relationship with the powerful oil industry.

When he announced his resignation on Tuesday, Stelmach said Alberta's deficit is now expected to linger into 2013-14, one year longer than the government had promised.

A date has yet to be set for a leadership convention for the Conservatives, who have been in power since 1971.

(Reporting by Jeffrey Jones; editing by Peter Galloway)