Premier Ed Stelmach will roll out today a political roadmap for his waning months in office, with a throne speech that will commence an unprecedented spring legislature sitting featuring another deficit budget.

While the government's primary focus for the session is Thursday's provincial budget, opposition parties believe little can be accomplished with a "lame-duck premier" and a Tory leadership race revving up.

As the premier prepares his exit, the Liberals are also searching for a new leader, as is the Alberta Party, which has its first MLA in the legislature now that Calgarian Dave Taylor has joined the centrist alternative.

Furthermore, a handful of former senior ministers -including Ted Morton, Doug Horner and Alison Redford -are now in the backbenches as they campaign to be Progressive Conservative leader, while newly minted justice and advanced education ministers adjust to their portfolios.

Certainly, it's an unparalleled period in Alberta politics, and comes at a sort of fiscal crossroads for the province, which is facing a record $5-billion deficit this fiscal year and more red ink in this week's new spending plan.

"It's a very challenging time. I hope Albertans are paying attention. I hope this will engage more Albertans in the political process because there's so much at stake," said Liberal Leader David Swann, who's preparing to leave without leading his party into a general election.

With Stelmach set to resign as premier and Progressive Conservative leader in September, concerns linger on both sides of the legislature that multiple leadership races will prove a distraction for the government and opposition MLAs paid to hold the Tories to account.

"I hope we're not distracted by the leadership stuff," Swann added.

Several pressing matters on health care, the environment and energy development need to be addressed in the spring legislature sitting, he said.

Indeed, a recent Environics poll found nearly two-thirds of Albertans believe their $15-billion health-care system is in crisis, while almost the same amount think sloppy management -not underfunding -is to blame for the problems.

Discontent is also percolating over landowners rights, so much so that the Stelmach government will amend its two-year-old land-use laws in the spring sitting of the legislature to quell unrest brewing in rural Alberta.

But perhaps the biggest challenge facing the Tory government is the state of provincial finances.

The premier has warned Albertans to prepare for a "tough budget" that will feature potentially double-digit spending cuts to some departments. However, the government will use the savings it finds from some ministries to bolster core programs such as health care, education and support for the vulnerable.

Stelmach has pledged the operating budget will be balanced while the overall spending hike will come in "well below" the recommended target of inflation plus population growth, which is expected around four or five per cent.

"Some departments will see cuts, others won't. Money will go where it's needed most, to Albertans' priorities and growing our economy, to pay for the public services Albertans expect and want," Stelmach said in a speech late last week in southern Alberta.

The latest deficit, on top of the projected $5 billion in red ink this year, will come from billions of dollars in spending on capital projects such as roads, schools and hospitals. Stelmach maintains the projects are needed and notes Alberta will cover off the shortfall with its multibillion-dollar rainy day Sustainability Fund.

"We know growth is coming. And this time, unlike the last, Alberta will be ready for it. Not to say we're opening the floodgates on spending," he added.

Opposition parties, however, believe there's a lot of fat to trim within a bloated Tory government.

Swann is proposing to end lottery grants to private golf courses, eliminate the Public Affairs Bureau (the province's communications arm), reduce government travel and chop the size of cabinet to 17 ministries from 24.

The Wildrose Alliance, which polls show is the government's main challenger, plans to present its own alternative budget to document where spending can be trimmed. Both the Wildrose and Liberal parties want the three-year capital plan protracted over an additional 18 to 24 months to help slice the expected deficit.

Wildrose deputy leader Paul Hinman believes little will be accomplished in the spring session, considering the premier is on his way out and candidates are already advocating different visions for Alberta. Holding a PC leadership race amid an important legislature sitting is an unnecessary distraction to governing the province, he said.

"It's very sad to think that we have a government that is so disengaged," Hinman said. "It's very poor timing and it's obvious they're not looking at what's best for the province -they're looking at what's best for the Tory party."

JFEKETE@CALGARYHERALD.COM