Mr. Speaker, I rise to present a petition on behalf of citizens of Peterborough who believe it is time to cancel the unpayable debts of the most impoverished nations.
The petitioners call upon the Government of Canada to cancel the debts owed to it by the 50 most impoverished nations by the year 2000. They also call upon the Government of Canada to urge the the lending countries at the upcoming G-8 summit in Cologne to cancel the backlog of debt owed by the 50 most impoverished nations by the year 2000.
The petitioners call upon the Government of Canada to urge these leaders to take effective steps to prevent high levels of debt from building up again by promoting sustainable economic and social development instead of supporting measures demanded by international financial institutions that erode health care, education and the environment, further impoverishing the poorest populations of the world.