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“They also asked that they be consulted in a meaningful way as we develop our plans going forward, and they’ve asked that in the interests of certainty we do it without undue delay,” Notley said.

She was responding to accusations by PC Leader Ric McIver that the NDP government was killing jobs with its policies.

He said the Canadian Association of Oilwell Drilling Contractors is predicting the loss of more than 25,000 jobs this year due to “potential policy changes in Alberta with respect to royalties.”

But McCuaig-Boyd said those forecast job losses are the result of low world oil prices.

“What we’re doing is meeting with industry to understand their concerns, asking for their advice as we move forward in a royalty review, and we’ve agreed to work together as partners for the betterment of a vibrant energy industry in Alberta,” she said.

Canadian Natural Resources president Steve Laut added his voice Wednesday to those warning that the energy industry could be harmed by the many changes happening at once.

“We’re assuming that the royalty, regulatory and environmental burdens will be reasonable, allowing for investment and job creation,” Laut said Wednesday in a conference call to investors.

But adjusting the royalty, taxation and regulatory burden is complex and “the risk of getting it wrong is high,” he said.

“It’s hard for us to tell investors where we’re going to invest our money and which projects are going to be developed and which ones are the best if we don’t know the regulatory and fiscal regime going forward,” said Laut.