Parliamentary Speaker’s Script, p. 1 of 3

Parliamentary Speaker’s Script

1. Pick up your nametag and package of materials.

2. Determine which room you will be in. You will remain there for all three debates.

3. Read over the attached rules and script(s). You will need to become familiar with the terminology. If you are chairing in a Grade 8 Division or a Junior Division room, you will only need to be familiar with the “Cross-Examination Style” of debating. If you are chairing a Senior Division, you will need to be familiar with “Cross-Examination Style” and “Parliamentary Style”. In Parliamentary debating debaters can rise on Points of Order, Points of Information and Points of Personal Privilege. When a debater rises on one of these points, you will be expected to rule (make a decision). If you agree with the point, you respond with “Point well taken” (and ask the other debater to apologize or withdraw) or “Point not well taken, please continue with your speech”. In Parliamentary debating, debaters are allowed to “heckle” their opponents.

4. Go to your appointed room and set up the room according to the attached diagram. Write the

resolution on the blackboard in the form shown below. You may abbreviate the first part as BIRT (Be It Resolved That…) Write the Government information on the left side as you face the board and Opposition on the right side as you face the board, as follows:

BIRT: (Insert EXACT wording of Bill here)

Government Room # Opposition

Prime Minister: (Name) 1st Opposition Speaker: (Name)

2nd Government Minister: (Name) Leader of the Opposition: (Name)

5. As the participants arrive, they will write their names and team number on the board and you need to write their names, and the names of your judges into your script (use pencil so you can erase and reuse the script for the remaining rounds of debate).

6. Start on time! Begin by reading your script.

Read only the bolded type ; the rest are directions to you. Check to be sure that all debaters, judges and the timekeeper are ready, then ask all persons present to be seated and announce clearly and firmly: The House will come to order.

I am pleased to welcome you to this ______ round of the (Insert name of Tournament). The topic

being debated is Be It Resolved That (Insert EXACT wording of Resolution.)

Seated on my right, representing the Government, ar e:

The Prime Minister (Insert name) and the Second Government Speaker (Insert name).

Speaking for Her Majesty’s Loyal Opposition will be Its First Speaker, (Insert name) and the Leader

of the Opposition (Insert name).

Parliamentary Speaker’s Script, p. 2 of 3

On behalf of the House, I extend a special welcome to our Judges (Name them).

I, (Insert your name) am your Speaker, and (Insert name) is your Timekeeper.

Each debater will have 8 minutes to deliver his or her remarks: the Prime Minister’s time will be divided between a 5-minute opening speech and a 3-m inute Official Rebuttal. The timekeeper will indicate how much speaking time is remaining by raising time cards. Fifteen seconds grace will be allowed; I will then immediat ely call on the next debater to begin his or her address. Judges should not confer with one another until after they have scored the debate. As Speaker, I will entertain Points of Order, Point s of Information and Points of Personal Privilege. Heckling and Formal Questions will also be permitte d, though Judges are to penalize any debater who interrupts another thoughtlessly, excessively, or who lowers the level of debate. I would also like to remind members they may only r aise points of information in the constructive speech and only after the first minute and before t he last minute of speech. Points of information may not be raised during the Leader of the Oppositi on’s last 3 minutes of speaking time, nor in the Prime Minister’s Final Rebuttal. Are then any questions regarding the Rules of Debat e? (If there are, refer to the Rules of Debate at the back of this booklet.) I call upon the Prime Minister to deliver the Bill, define its terms and outline the Government’s case. He/she must completely describe any plan for implementing the Bill. Time: 5 minutes After the Prime Minister’s speech say: I thank the Prime Minister for his/her remarks and remind the judges that they should not finalize any debater’s score until they have heard all the s peeches. We shall now hear the First Speaker of the Opposition. If the Opposition intends to co ntest the Government definitions or to introduce a Counter-Plan, it must do so during this address. Time: 8 minutes After the First Opposition speech, say: Thank you for your remarks. I now call upon the Se cond Government speaker to deliver the final constructive speech in support of the Bill. Time: 8 minutes After the second Government speech, say: Thank you. The Leader of the Opposition will now d eliver the last speech opposing the Bill. It is his/her responsibility to complete the attack on th e Government case and to defend and summarize the position of the Opposition. Time: 8 minutes

Parliamentary Speaker’s Script, p. 3 of 3

After the Leader of the Opposition’s speech, say: I thank the Leader of the Opposition and now call u pon the Prime Minister once again to present the Government’s Official Rebuttal. During this 3- minute speech, new arguments and evidence may be introduced only in reply to the last constru ctive Opposition speech. Time: 3 minutes After the Official Rebuttal, say: I thank the Prime Minister for concluding the debat e. Would the judges please complete their Scoresheets and I will pick them up. (When the judges are finished, pick up the Scoresheets and make sure that the judges have filled everything in correctly.) On behalf of the House, I thank the Judges for thei r assistance; I congratulate all the debaters on their performance. I hereby award the debate to the ______________. Since this debate is concluded, and there is no oth er business on the Order Paper, the House stands adjourned. At this time, I would invite the judges to make bri ef comments. Judges comment. (Keep your eye on the clock while they do this – remember that everyone has to get ready for the next round on time!) Thank you. Finally, thank everyone for participating, and remind them what time the next round of debate starts. Take the Judges’ Scoresheets to the Results Room before starting the next round of debate.