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“(Premier Rachel Notley) doesn’t control the oil prices, but she does have control over taxes and royalties. There is concern, pretty broadly, about the uncertainty,” Williams told the Herald.

“Obviously there’s some people for whom the uncertainty isn’t very good because they’ve lost their jobs, but the fact that the numbers for personal finances are better is because there’s a little more certainty, a little more clarity about what the future holds than on the provincial level.”

The automated phone poll of 3,075 Albertans also asked respondents how the provincial government should respond to the drop in oil price.

Last week, Notley said her government was looking at areas to reduce spending, while still protecting front-line services.

The largest number of people surveyed, 38 per cent, said the government should cut spending to decrease the deficit. Another 26 per cent said Notley should maintain or increase spending to protect public services. The same proportion were unsure, while only 10 per cent were in favour of raising taxes.

“Being prudent and fiscally responsible in the short-term, something (Notley has) indicated she’s planning to do, seems to have the largest support of all the options available,” said Williams. “I think she’s quite clearly aware that any more tax increases — including royalty increases — in this economic slump is not a good idea.”

The poll was conducted Aug. 28, the same day the provincial government announced who would sit on the royalty review panel.