Stelmach set to announce "new" cabinet today... (UPDATE)

UPDATE #2: The cabinet has been announced. Here's the deets.

UPDATE: The Journal has more info on potential cabinet picks. According to the updated story, Iris Evans is moving to Finance, and will be one of seven women in cabinet this time around (compared to only two out of eighteen last time). Word also has it that Ron Stevens will retain his deputy premiership, but also pick up the Intergovernmental Relations portfolio. The full cabinet will be announced at 2 pm today, and AGRDT should have oh-so-insightful analysis for you at some point following that.

...and it looks to be just as disappointing as the last. Some highlights from the Edmonton Journal story:

Premier Ed Stelmach will reveal today a largely status-quo cabinet that gives Edmonton only two full-fledged ministers and shuffles veteran Dave Hancock out of health and into a lesser portfolio, The Journal has learned.

Several government sources said Tuesday the modest cabinet makeover is highlighted by a job swap between Hancock and Calgary's Ron Liepert...

...Stelmach is said to have made few major changes to his existing cabinet, based partially on the belief that its solid performance helped the Conservatives steamroll to a 72-seat majority in the election.

Stelmach's cabinet choices will be closely watched for regional and demographic balance. His original 18-member cabinet in December 2006 was roundly criticized for being far too rural, male and all-white...

The premier has pledged more regional balance in a bigger cabinet this time, but several of the small-town Stelmach loyalists who got nods last time -- including Danyluk, Luke Ouellette and Lloyd Snelgrove -- won't be swept aside to make way for city-dwellers.

...Some fiscally conservative Tories were delighted by word of Liepert's new appointment. They see him as a hardliner who may propose aggressive reforms to curb the rapid rise in health-care costs.

The Journal story comes in direct contrast with the headline from today's Edmonton Sun story, Big Change Expected in Stelmach Cabinet, which suggests (among other things) that Ted "I hate gay people" Morton will be moving to Energy and new-comer Teresa Woo-Paw will also claim a seat.

Check back later for a more thorough analysis once the full slate is announced.