Albertans to vote March 3

After weeks of election speculation in Alberta, it's official: there will be a provincial vote March 3.

Conservative Leader Ed Stelmach made the announcement less than an hour after the speech from the throne outlined his government's plans, including eliminating health care premiums over four years, increasing the number of health care workers and spending more on crime reduction.

"I wanted to give Albertans a chance to see what we can do and a chance to deliver on some major commitments," he told reporters late Monday after calling the election.

"Now its time for Albertans to decide who they trust to manage Alberta's growth and make the most of this unique moment in our history," Stelmach said.

The two main opposition parties said they are ready for the election battle.

"People are disconnected from the Tories," Liberal leader Kevin Taft said, referring to the Conservative party's 36 years in power in Alberta. "You know people are looking for a fresh start and we are that fresh start."

Taft also accused the Tories of stealing the Liberal plan to eliminate health care premiums as the central theme of the throne speech.

"Its interesting that a Liberal idea got the loudest applause," he said. 

NDP Leader Brian Mason painted his party as the only one that can represent working Albertans.

"When push comes to shove, the NDP will be counted upon to stand up for ordinary families," Mason said. "You can't trust the Liberals and you can't trust the Conservatives because ultimately, they are beholden to the people who finance their political parties."

Tory leader must win over urban voters

This will be the first major election test for Stelmach, the 56-year-old rural politician who still operates a small grain farm near Lamont, 80 kilometres northeast of Edmonton. 

Known by many as "Steady Eddie," he staged a "come from behind" victory to replace former premier Ralph Klein as party leader in December, mainly because of his support from rural Conservatives.

But his rural power base got him into trouble last June when the party suffered an embarrassing loss in a Calgary by-election. The Liberals won Calgary-Elbow, taking Klein's long-time seat. Many Calgarians accused Stelmach of not paying enough attention to the problems there.

Government spending preceded election call

Stelmach has spent the last few months rolling out a series of plans on everything from affordable housing to dealing with a backlog of schools, hospitals and other construction projects.

His mantra — "Alberta has a plan" — is seen as a move to distance himself from Klein, who admitted in September 2006 that his government had been caught off guard by the explosive growth in the province.

Currently, the Progressive Conservatives have 60 seats in the legislature, the Liberals 16, the NDP 4 and the Wildrose Alliance Party 1, with one independent and one seat vacant.