Alberta Premier Ralph Klein says Albertans frustrated by a a range of issues from the gun registry to Senate reform should direct their complaints to the Liberals in Ottawa, not the rest of the country.

"Our fight is not with other Canadians; it is with the federal government that has so often refused to listen," he told about 500 delegates at the Alberta Progressive Conservative Party's policy conference on Saturday.

Praising Canadians who supported Alberta during the mad cow crisis, Klein said they shouldn't suffer for Alberta's strained relationship with Ottawa.

Klein told the Edmonton gathering that his fight is with a federal government "that has so often refused to listen."

His grievances include the federal gun registry, the Canadian Wheat Board monopoly on export sales of western wheat and barley, the absence of Senate reform, and the federal government's conditions on health care funding.

While Klein rejected the notion of a "firewall" around the province – an idea first raised three years ago by Canadian Alliance Stephen Harper before he returned to politics – he did say a committee will study the notion of an Alberta provincial police force, replacing the Canada Pension Plan with a provincial one, and the collection of a provincial income tax.

Those ideas have previously been rejected by his government, but Klein said party members are pushing them again.

Two major issues for Albertans these days are high utility rates and soaring auto insurance premiums, he told reporters. But those items aren't on the conference's formal agenda.

Klein did express cautious optimism that Alberta-federal relations will improve once Paul Martin, the new leader of the Liberal party, becomes prime minister.

Martin will be holding a meeting with the provincial and territorial premiers in Regina before Sunday's Grey Cup game.