It's clear that Alberta is in a very unique position in Canada. We have billions of dollars rolling-in each year in one-time, non-renewable resource revenues. We run surplus budgets and are debt-free.

But things are not all sunshine and wild roses in Alberta. Alberta is on its way to the same position it was back in 1993: the province doesn't have a revenue problem, it has a spending problem.

Government spending has increased by 37 per cent in the last three years alone, grossly outpacing a six per cent population growth and a nine per cent inflation rate during the same period. A decade ago, the Alberta government spent $5,034 each year per Albertan, now they spend $8,825 per Albertan.

This ramp-up in spending is being financed by one-time resource revenues. In fact, the vast majority of money brought in through the sale of oil and natural gas gets spent. The first $5.3-billion goes directly into program spending. The remainder flows through the Sustainability Fund into "emergency" funding, natural gas rebates, and infrastructure spending. Only a fraction of this money is being socked away.

This "just say when" policy towards government spending, has lead to a few of the candidates vying to replace Premier Klein to advocate for a legislated savings plan, and a cap on spending growth.

Jim Dinning recently announced he would save 30 per cent of all resource revenues, building the Heritage Fund up to $50-billion in ten years. Ted Morton would save 30 per cent of all resource revenues, and "cap public sector spending growth."

However, one premier-wanna-be also came out recently with a fairly detailed, and fiscally conservative plan to not only save 30 per cent of resource revenues -- building the Heritage Fund up to $120-billion -- but to cap yearly spending at $8,500 per Albertan. This spending cap would restrict government to only increase program spending by the rate of population growth each year.

This candidate's plan trumps Dinning's plan, as Mr. Dinning has not yet promised to cap spending, and matches Dr. Morton's plan.

Surprisingly, the man pitching this plan isn't running for the leadership of the Alberta PC Party. In fact, he's already got a party. That's right, this "conservative" savings and spending cap plan has been pitched by none other than Alberta Liberal leader Kevin Taft.

Unfortunately for the Liberals, they still have a long way to go before Albertans are ready to believe they would deliver if elected. Taft's Liberals have a bit of a credibility problem when it comes to government spending.

Anyone who has listened to the Alberta Legislature's Question Period over the past few years has heard an endless barrage of Liberal claims of "chronic under-funding" in everything from health care, to education, to children's services, to seniors and even the justice system. This obviously raises a question as to how a Liberal government would deal with these so-called "chronic under-funding" problems, while still capping spending.

Regardless, the Liberals will have another chance come spring session to walk the talk. Before Albertans are ready to believe the Liberals would deliver on a savings and spending cap plan they will first need to resist the temptation to kick the government (and their own credibility) by constantly arguing for more spending.

It's fairly obvious Alberta cannot sustain yearly double-digit growth in government spending. If Progressive Conservative leadership candidates don't want to get out-flanked by Kevin Taft's "conservative" savings and spending cap plan, they've only got until the end of November to articulate a clear vision.