North America

CANADA - Former Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) commissioner Giuliano Zaccardelli should be denounced for his lack of leadership in investigations into the force's pension fund scandal, according to the House of Commons Public Accounts Committee....

The government of US town, Milford, is considering pulling out from the New Hampshire Retirement System (NHRS) because of its funding level.

CANADA - The chief actuary has told a senate standing committee that the Canada Pension Plan (CPP) is in good health.

CANADA - Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB) has warned pension schemes could face restrictions on alternative investments if governments move to include them in legislation restricting investment by sovereign wealth funds.

CANADA - Caisse de depot et placement du Québec (Caisse) has made public a potential C$500m (US$500m) write-down due to sub-prime asset backed commercial paper (ABCP).

US - The California Public Employees Retirement System (CalPERS) has mooted a radical restructuring of its public equities allocations, with a greater emphasis on international equities.

CANADA - A court case over the solvency deficiency in the Saskatchewan Wheat Pool/Grain Services Union (SWP/GSU) Pension Plan has been postponed after agri-business Viterra put an offer on the table.

US/CANADA - North American institutional investors are routinely using equity derivatives as a method of obtaining desired exposures and hedging positions, according to Greenwich Associates.

CANADA - The federal government wants to convince Canadian pension funds to invest in the country's infrastructure, in order to capture some of the billions being placed overseas.

CANADA - The Nova Scotia government is looking to amend its legislation to ensure all pension plans are fully funded when a company leaves the province or winds down its pension plan.