This one is a private comment regarding Health Care in Nova Scotia.

Since coming to Nova Scotia, I have learned a lot about what "free" healthcare can mean for people.

During the entire period I lived in rural Nova Scotia, The Wife and I were without healthcare. There simply was no access to medical care. There is a lot of political speak around why that is, and how the next initiative will make things better, and how it isn't <insert name>'s fault. But for the people living outside Halifax, the result is the same: there is no access to medical care.

I took a job in Halifax, partially to get my wife access to medical attention. It took us a year, but we finally got access to a GP (a prerequisite for access to specialists). To date, neither of us have gained access to required specialist care (my appointments were cancelled without reason, much to the shock of my GP).

As I worked my way back up to Senior roles, I ended up working for the Halifax health care region. While legally and professionally I can't discuss what I experienced, I ended up resigning my position in disgust. Recently, I commented to my wife that I wish I'd submitted to WikiLeaks (career be damned); though listening to the political speak, nothing I experienced wasn't already in the news papers (with the appropriate spin put on it).

Back to personal experience, rather than professional: Nova Scotian's believe they have the best health care in the world, when you submit evidence that that isn't true (no physicians, hospitals that are dirty, have un-potable water, and are rodent infested), they state "well, at least its free". Effectively, people are stating they would rather die than pay out of pocket.

All of this has made me suspicious of the "at least its free" argument Canada wide, and made me look at my personal and professional time (as a Nurse) in Alberta with fresh eyes. We all want to believe that we are well cared for... but I don't trust that we are... I don't trust any of it anymore.