Stelmach promises to erase health care premiums

Premier Ed Stelmach's government is promising to phase out health care premiums for Alberta families over the next four years.

That commitment was one of the main points of his government's speech from the throne, read by Lt. Gov. Norman Kwong in the legislature Monday afternoon.

The government says the change will save the average family $1,056 a year. "Helping families in our growing economy is a priority," the premier said in a news release Monday.

The speech is usually the government's chance to lay out its legislative priorities for the session. But with an election call expected — perhaps as early as late Monday afternoon — the speech is widely seen as the Conservatives' campaign platform.

Other points included in the speech:

• Increasing the number of health care workers in the province.
  
• Implementing a  20-year capital plan for roads, bridges, schools, health facilities and other infrastructure.
  
• Creating more than 11,000 units of affordable housing over five years.
  
• Allocating significant new funding to implement a crime reduction strategy.
  
• Beginning work with industry to build a carbon capture and storage infrastructure.
  
• Implementing a new energy royalty framework.

The speech says the government goal is to "build communities, green our growth and create opportunities for long term prosperity."

There are few specifics in the throne speech. Many of the proposals, including the plan for affordable housing and the move to carbon capture as a way to control greenhouse gases, have been previously announced.