UCP leadership candidate Danielle Smith said NDP leader Rachel Notley clearly doesn't think early detection, healthy living, diet, and exercise need to be part of the solution to prevent serious disease such as cancer. Smith also said the NDP is attacking her for a recent podcast.."The attempt to use prevention & early treatment of cancer, as a political wedge issue, was beneath her," Smith tweeted..NDP leader Rachel Notley stated on social media, "Let’s actually support cancer patients."."That really shouldn’t be too much to ask of anyone trying to hold Alberta’s highest elected office.".Mainstream media said Smith is facing a lot of backlash on social media after she claimed you can control cancer so long as it’s before a stage-four diagnosis..The comments were made while interviewing a naturopath on her podcast last week.."Dr. Christine Perkins and we were talking about how healthy living and diet and exercise along with early detection are important to preventing serious disease," Smith said.."So for over an hour I listened to Dr. Perkins on her medical opinion and she's quite correct. The first three stages of cancer are more controllable in terms of what complete care is available to a patient. But once you get to stage four, that's when the patient's less in control. And only traditional medicine, chemotherapy and radiation and surgery and other difficult therapies are available as a course of treatment..Smith said,"Natural passenger and medicine are in agreement on this and of course, a window to something apparently for the NDP but they want to use that as a wedge issue to attack me."."I think that's beneath even them and Albertans are tired of this. Like you I was frustrated with the lock downs and all the missed medical diagnosis that are vital to preventative medical care," Smith said.."With over the coming months and years. I think we're going to know just how bad the lock downs were. But I do want to offer my sincere love to anyone who has lost a loved one from cancer including Brian Jean. We all have these stories myself included. And prevention needs to become part of the conversation."
