EDMONTON — Alberta Health Minister Iris Evans says she's squarely behind Premier Ralph Klein and his leadership.

The Conservative party will vote on Klein's leadership at its annual meeting in Calgary next week.

Klein has said he will step down in 2008, but might leave sooner if next weekend's numbers aren't to his liking.

With some pushing and pulling already going on over the leadership issue, some party insiders fear a lengthy leadership campaign could rip the provincial Tories apart.

Evans admitted there's been turmoil over the fate of Lyle Oberg, the province's former transportation minister, who was kicked out of cabinet after lashing out at Klein over the leadership process.

"I think by the convention next week mostly of that will be resolved,'' she said.

"I think that the party has, Alberta-wide, very strong support.''

Liberal house leader Laurie Blakeman said she's a little concerned that Oberg's departure will hamper the debate over the provincial budget handed down earlier this week.

"We're in there trying to make sure that the budget decisions that have been made are good ones and challenge them if they are not,'' she said.

"And who are we supposed to deal with? If there's any suggestion that there is either a holdup in programs being delivered to Albertans, or that the skeletons that are being spoken of are something that should be looked at, then that's going to cause us concern on behalf of Albertans.''

During his criticism of Klein, Oberg had warned that as a backbencher, he might cause trouble for the premier because he "knows where the skeletons are.''