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Primary B

All debates are Prepared Debates. Speeches of 2 minutes; warning bell at 1 minute.

Round 1: That pets are a nuisance.
Round 2: That zoos should be banned.
Round 3: That school uniforms should be abolished.
Round 4: That good handwriting is important.
Round 5: That there should be a bicycle license.

Primary A

All debates are Prepared Debates. Speeches of 3 minutes; warning bell at 2 minutes.

Round 1: That we should know how to spell.
Round 2: That corporal punishment has a worthwhile place in schools.
Round 3: That all children should play a musical instrument.
Round 4: That schools should provide free lunch for students.
Round 5: That childhood is a happy time.

Year 8

All debates are Prepared Debates. Speeches of 4 minutes; warning bell at 3 minutes.

Round 1: That the SRC in schools is important.
Round 2: That all tobacco products should be banned.
Round 3: That the internet does more harm than good.
Round 4: That cosmetic surgery should be prohibited.
Round 5: That we should vote off reality television.

Quarter Final: That the Olympic Games are a waste of money.
Semi Final: That the carrot is better than the stick.
Grand Final: That we are slaves to fashion.

Year 9

Rounds 1 to 4 are Prepared Debates. All finals debates are Prepared Debates. Speeches of 5 minutes; warning bell at 4 minutes.

Round 1: That too much importance is placed on winning.
Round 2: That school attendance should be voluntary.
Round 3: That it pays to conform.
Round 4: That McDonald’s is an evil empire.
Round 5: That the carrot is better than the stick.
One Card Debate. Speeches of 5 minutes; warning bell at 4 minutes.

Quarter Final: That we overrate our celebrities.
Semi Final: That violence has no place in entertainment.
Grand Final: That staying at home broadens the mind.

Year 10

Rounds 1 to 3 are Prepared Debates. All finals debates are Prepared Debates. Speeches of 6 minutes; warning bell at 5 minutes.

Round 1: That there should be more restrictions on P-plate drivers.
Round 2: That Antarctica should be left to the penguins.
Round 3: That Hilary for President just doesn't fit the 'Bill'.
Round 4: Short Preparation format debate.
Speeches of 5 minutes; warning bell at 4 minutes. The short preparation topic will be released 90 minutes before the scheduled debate.
Round 5: That Australian immigration should be abolished.
One Card Debate. Speeches of 6 minutes; warning bell at 5 minutes.

Quarter Final: That protest has no place at the Olympics.
Semi Final: That compulsory voting denies democracy.
Grand Final: That Hollywood is a blot on society.

Senior

Round 1: That saying sorry to the Stolen Generations was the right thing to do.
Prepared Debate. Speeches of 8 minutes; warning bell at 7 minutes.

Round 2: That political correctness has gone too far.
One Card Debate. Speeches of 8 minutes; warning bell at 7 minutes.

Round 3: Short Preparation format debate.
Speeches of 6 minutes; warning bell at 5 minutes. The short preparation topic will be released 90 minutes before the scheduled debate.

Round 4: Sistine Chapel Quodlibetical. [PDF, 36KB]
Click above for details. Prepared Debate. Speeches of 8 minutes; warning bell at 7 minutes

Quarter Final: That the fast track is worth all the risks.
Prepared debate. Speeches of 8 minutes; warning bell at 7 minutes.

Semi Final: Short Preparation format debate.
Speeches of 6 minutes; warning bell at 5 minutes.

Grand Final: That courtship is a lost art.
Prepared debate. Speeches of 8 minutes; warning bell at 7 minutes.

Open

Round 1: That we should drop the bomb on Hiroshima.
Lateral Topic. Debaters must debate this topic within the scope of World War II pre-1945. Speeches of 8 minutes; warning bell at 7 minutes.

Round 2: That protecting the public from terrorism should come before civil liberties.
Cross Examination Debate. Speeches of 6 minutes; warning bell at 5 minutes.
2 minute Cross Examination period.

Round 3: That the light at the end of the tunnel is the oncoming train.
Point of Information Debate. Speeches of 10 minutes; warning bells at 2 and 9 minutes.

Round 4: Short Preparation format debate; Quodlibetical topic.
Speeches of 6 minutes; warning bell at 5 minutes. The short preparation topic will be released 90 minutes before the scheduled debate.

Quarter Final: Bye for all teams.

Semi Final: Short Preparation format debate.
Speeches of 6 minutes; warning bell at 5 minutes.

Grand Final: That censorship is necessary in a free society.
Prepared debate. Speeches of 8 minutes; warning bell at 7 minutes

Special Formats of Prepared Debates Used in 2008

Lateral Topic

A lateral topic is set in a specific time and/or place, or may have other restrictions or criteria imposed upon it. Debaters must debate the topic within those provided parameters.

If a topic is set in a specific time debaters may not introduce content as evidence which occurred after this time. For instance, if the topic is “That alcohol should be prohibited”, in the context of the pre-United States Prohibition Era, a team cannot make reference to anything that resulted because of the introduction of prohibition, e.g. the Mafia. In the case of a time specific topic, the students will probably need to research the mores and attitudes of that time.

Quodlibetical Topic

There are a number of issues that can’t be easily expressed in a one-line topic. Therefore you have been given a fictitious scenario, outlined by a few paragraphs, and a topic that is based on this scenario. The following should be noted:

1. The first speaker should not attempt to define the topic word for word, but rather should define the issue(s) or dilemma(s) that the topic presents.

2. It is this issue or dilemma that should be debated in an attempt to prove whichever side of the topic, i.e. feel free to debate the particular issue generally, but be sure to link it back to the topic as this is what you want to argue for or against.

3. There is no need for the first speaker to read out the initial paragraphs as the Chairman will do this before announcing the topic, however, any speaker may refer to these paragraphs as part of his/her argument.

4. Debaters are welcome and are encouraged to conduct further research on the issues presented but note that the scenario itself is often fictitious.