MSDA Debate Guide

Basics of Manitoban Parliamentary Debate

Road mapping or signposting: “Tell them what you’re going to say, say it, and tell them what you said.”

Prime Minister Constructive (PMC):

Introduce the issue by stating and briefly describing the problem you wish to solve or the side of a philosophical issue you wish to defend.

Case statement: one or two sentences outlining what your side proposes. If it is a policy debate, you should outline what your plan is to deal with the problem

Roadmap your arguments. For each argument, state the point and flesh out your argument with proof. The more your case is based on logic and observable knowledge, rather than numbers, the stronger your case is.

Conclude by summarizing your case and the arguments you brought up. Reiterate the most important thing in this round.

Strategic point: your purpose is to introduce a strong Government case with confidence and clarity, setting the right tone for the debate and forcing the Opposition to work hard to bring you down. Bury a weak point in the middle of your speech, making sure to leave a strong one for the MC.

Leader of the Opposition (LO):

Take the case the Government presented and explain why their solution cannot work, or why the problem doesn’t actually ex

Present a new, independent argument relating to the case. Your argument is for the opposite of the government’s case, bringing it down.

Go through each of the PM's points and explain why they fall.

Strategic point: your purpose is to introduce the Opposition stance (the crux of the Opposition case) and to bring down all that the PM just said, making it difficult for the MC to rebuild.

Minister of the Crown (MC)

Bring forth an additional one or two arguments supporting the government.

Go through the points presented by the LO and rebut them. Take issue with their assumptions, and challenge their premises.

Reconstruct the PMC points that were refuted by the LO. Clean up the mess left in the last speech and explain why the LO is wrong. Go through each of the PMC arguments, say what the LO said about them, and prove why they still stand.

Strategic point: your argument(s) must be different from those of the PM, as you are required to add value to the round of debate. Make sure not to spend too much time on constructive argumentation. Reconstruction is key!

Member of the Opposition (MO):

Introduce the rest of the opposition arguments. Try to maintain thematic consistency, following the stance introduced by the LO but developing it much further with your 1 or 2 points.

Reconstruct the argument(s) presented by the LO.

Go through each Government argument and destroy it. Challenge the logic, the assumptions, the feasibility, etc. At the end, none of the strong Government points should be standing.

Conclude by reviewing the debate and explaining why your side has won.

Strategic point: Pace yourself carefully, and watch the time signals. Use the last couple minutes to look at the round more generally. Talk about the theme of the round, the strongest couple arguments, and why the Opposition has done a better job. End strong!

Rebuttals:

Take the two or three strongest points against you and rebut them.

Conclude by returning the debate to the thematic principles you outlined in the your first speech. Explain why you win.

Note: new arguments cannot be presented in the rebuttals.

Strategic point: you do not have time to go through every argument in the round, so do not attempt this!! If you can, organize your speech into the main three issues/types of arguments. Take each issue, say a few things about what was said by each side, and show how the balance swings in your favour. End strong!!

POINTS OF INFORMATION

POIs are opportunities for you to rise during your opposition’s speeches and offer a question or comment. By saying “On a Point of Information” and displaying correct form (one hand on your head, one hand held out palm up), the speaker knows you are interested in stealing the floor. They can accept your POI or decline it by waiving you down or saying “No thank you.”

You can use the POI to clarify something about which you are confused, point out a flaw/contradiction in the speaker’s argument, or make a comment that will link to something you will talk about later.

It is important to keep the POI brief and to the point (5-10 seconds), but also to keep yourself in the round with both strong use and reception of POIs.

*The general rule in a round of debate: “Give Two, Take Two”

Protected time: POIs cannot be offered during the first and last minute of constructive speeches or in rebuttals