You're forgetting that he was employed for 20 years, paying taxes, EI etc. Government-paid health care? Paid by whom - by each and every individual paying taxes. Let's not pretend that our government waves a magic wand and gives all these things for free.

But forget the period of 39 or 30 or 20 years, I find the fact that your spouse can't receive your CPP (if also receiving the max) a bit more disturbing. I mean, you work for call it 40 years, contributing toward your retirement, and then if something happens to you early in your retirement, the government effectively benefits from your early death? That is a serious flaw