Canadian politician Chelsae Petrovic was criticized Monday for saying those who suffer heart attacks need to take responsibility for their health, comments she later argued were taken out of context.
The United Conservative Party candidate and Claresholm mayor spoke on "The Canadian Story" podcast about the need for personal accountability in Canadian society, rather than relying on the government.
She spoke rhetorically on the podcast about how people must hold themselves accountable, "Maybe the reason you had a heart attack was because you haven’t taken care of yourself." She added, "You’re extremely overweight, you haven’t managed your congestive heart failure, you haven’t managed your diabetes and there’s no personal accountability."
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Petrovic also mentioned that, as an experienced nurse, she has seen how this attitude strains Canada’s healthcare system: "They come into the hospital and all of a sudden it’s everyone else’s problem but their own."
Political scientist Duane Bratt slamming her rhetoric to Global News, framing it as if she were saying the obese should not be helped. "Should they say, ‘Yes you had a heart attack, but you’re fat, so we’re not going to treat you?’ or ‘It’s your fault?’ Or ‘we’re going to extra bill you?’" Bratt asked.
Petrovic later clarified her comments in a statement saying, "I was speaking for several minutes about the challenges our health-care system is currently facing." She added, "I understand my comment could be offensive when removed from the longer interview, and I should have chosen better language."
She also wrote in her statement, "I believe we should be a province that not only focuses on reactive health for those in need but also one that teaches our kids to practice healthy living, which includes taking care of our physical health."
Later in the same podcast, Petrovic suggested that people as individuals should take more accountability not only for themselves and the welfare those around them in their community as well so that "the government doesn’t need to come in and save us."
The Canadian politician said that beyond taking care of oneself, one should look around themselves and ask, "How can you help?"
Petrovic followed by recounting how her neighbor had a heart attack and said, "As a neighborhood we have to start getting out of our tunnel vision" and start to "look at other people." She suggested, "Well, let’s start shoveling his driveway, right?"
After sharing anecdotes of neighbors helping each other, she advocated a societal return to "’loving thy neighbor’ and helping them."
