No date has been circled on his calendar, John Hamm said to Nova Scotia Conservatives on Friday night, as Canada's oldest premier tried to put to rest persistent rumours that he's ready to retire.

"Many of you have been wondering if I'm about to take a walk in the snow," he said, referring to former prime minister Pierre Trudeau's famous resignation story.

"Well, I'm not."

Hamm, 65, said he intends to focus on what he wants to see done in the province.

Questions about the premier's future have been a regular topic of conversation in political circles for over a year, ever since he underwent painful back surgery and was forced to miss a first ministers conference on health care in February 2003.

Rumours about his health and impending retirement persisted into last summer's election, often fuelled by wishful thinking on the part of Opposition parties.

During the election the premier stated categorically that he intended to serve out a full four-year term.

But in interviews and public statements since his party was returned to power in a minority government, Hamm has always carefully qualified or been downright coy about his future.

In several year-end interviews, he left the door open to a possible exit from public life, by saying that he would concentrate on delivering the spring budget and then think about his future.

"As long as you want, or need me as your leader, and for as long as I believe I can contribute to a better Nova Scotia, I'll be here for you, our party and our province," he told hundreds of cheering supporters at a Halifax hotel ballroom.

Stepping down "has not been on his radar screen" at any time during the last five years, Hamm said.

He said he plans to run in the next election, whenever it happens.

"I'm going to be around for a while," Hamm said.

"I'll be around as long as I feel I can do the job."

But even in delivering the speech, Hamm couldn't resist the temptation to toy with the audience, straying from his prepared remarks at the beginning to say he and his wife had reached a monumental decision.

"Genesta and I have decided we will not have any more children," he said to wild applause, as many party member let out a relieved gasp.

The biggest battle Hamm seems prepared to fight is with the Liberal government of Prime Minister Paul Martin over health care funding.

"Medicare as we know it today will not be around for our children or their children, if Ottawa continues to shirk its responsibility," he said.

He warned that as long as increases to the province's $2.2-billion medicare budget are not guaranteed by Ottawa, the province will have to cut in other areas, such as education and road construction.

Hamm also fired a verbal warning to the Opposition parties, in anticipation of this spring's budget debate, which will be the first chance the Liberals and NDP have to defeat Hamm's Conservatives.

"As a government, we are prepared to compromise when it makes sense," he said.

"Despite minority government, we will continue to do what is practical, smart and right - not what is always popular or expedient. What we are not prepared to do is to concede on matters of principle."

The government, Hamm said, is not prepared to do is throw away its blueprint of election promises or change course.