I don't think you will find too many Canadians who think health care is "free". We know health care costs are paid from our tax dollars, BUT at the time of need, the care is free and no one has to mortgage their homes or take out loans for operations or treatments. Everyone has coverage for health care here.

BTW Our taxes on purchases is a sales tax of 7%. The other tax is a Goods and Service Tax of 8%, but provinces differ on the sales tax for each province sets their own. The Federal Gov't sets the other tax. No one likes this extra added tax but I think that I would rather pay this tax than to be expected to come up with thousands of dollars in the blink of an eye if I ever needed surgery!