This thesis is an examination of the contrast between public opinion and proposed government policy on the issue of reform to Medicare, Canada's public health care system. This research explores which groups ore at the forefront of encouraging governments at both the Federal and Provincial levels to increase the private element in Medicare. In addition, it examines the use of public opinion surveys as a tool in the debate and it observes how Canadian governments have responded to the conflicting pressures of various interest groups versus evidence of strong public resistance to specific reforms.