REGINA — Saskatchewan's finance minister says the province compromised on Canada Pension Plan reform because it feared something "less palatable" would be forced on it.
The federal government reached an agreement with most of the provinces Monday to revamp the program for the first time in nearly two decades.
Saskatchewan had opposed the change, arguing that it's not the right time to hike contributions to CPP when employers and employees are struggling because of the economy.
But provincial Finance Minister Kevin Doherty says the best option was to work on a national plan with a phased in date starting in 2019.
Ontario had been pushing for an earlier start date, but Doherty says the compromise keeps Ontario in the national pension plan.
The agreement-in-principle, which only Quebec and Manitoba neglected to endorse, will see an increase in monthly premiums phased in starting at $7 a month in 2019 for a worker earning $55,000 a year.
