OTTAWA — Federal sources say Canada's most populous province has become a roadblock in work to gain the required support from provinces to make reform and expand the Canada Pension Plan.
Ontario's position in the ongoing talks is that it wants reforms to the Canada Pension Program to dovetail with the provincial pension program Ontario has vowed to create.
Ontario Finance Minister Charles Sousa says he plans to use the Ontario program as leverage in negotiations for timely amendments to the national program, but doesn't want to obstruct ongoing talks.
Federal, provincial and territorial finance ministers will meet near the end of June in Vancouver where CPP reform will be a key part of the agenda.
Federal Finance Minister Bill Morneau has said he wants to see a deal for an expanded CPP completed by the end of the calendar year.
Sousa says the talks will all be for naught if a majority of provinces don't signal their backing for immediate changes to the pension plan at the June meeting.
