But if Canadians are open to private insurance, they're more divided on the longer term impact, says Marie Larose, a senior vice-president at Pollara. "They support opening up the system, but there is uncertainty as to what it means. They see positives, and negatives." A majority felt private insurance would reduce wait times and have a positive impact on the system as a whole. But most don't think it would benefit them or their families, and saw it creating a more expensive two-tier system. The poll also shows 54 per cent reject the idea people should be able to queue-jump and pay for faster access to public health services.

The poll follows remarks by Quebec's health minister, Philippe Couillard, who said the province would abide by the court ruling and move ahead with expanding private insurance. "There appears to be a perversion of the debate here in Canada," he told reporters in Quebec City. "There are some people who associate any intrusion of private delivery of the health care system to some kind of social backwardness."

In Alberta, Ralph Klein has also vowed to expand private health services, even if it means violating the Canada Health Act. For several months he has delayed outlining the exact details of the reforms, which were first held back after they became a major target of the Liberals during last summer's federal election. As this winter's campaign nears, private health care may not be quite the bogeyman it once was. Already, Paul Martin has rejected NDP demands for tougher limits on private care. John Church, a political scientist at the University of Alberta, says that because there is a feeling there is a wait list crisis, there is a "perception that governments can't deal with wait times, and it is starting to have an impact on public perceptions of the health care system."

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