Format Guide

Canadian Parliamentary debate (CUSID): format guide

Canadian Parliamentary is the primary format used at CUSID (Canadian University Society for Intercollegiate Debate) tournaments across Canadian universities. It uses 7-minute speeches with Points of Information and reply speeches, and covers the entire Canadian university debate circuit with one preset.

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Canadian Parliamentary speech order

#SpeechSideTimePOI Window
1Prime MinisterGOV7:001:00 – 6:00
2Leader of OppositionOPP7:001:00 – 6:00
3Member of GovernmentGOV7:001:00 – 6:00
4Member of OppositionOPP7:001:00 – 6:00
5Deputy Prime MinisterGOV7:001:00 – 6:00
6Deputy Leader of OppositionOPP7:001:00 – 6:00
7Leader of Opposition ReplyOPP4:00None
8Prime Minister ReplyGOV4:00None

No prep pool. POI window: minutes 1–6 of each constructive. Reply speeches have no POI window.

Frequently asked questions

What is CUSID?
CUSID stands for Canadian University Society for Intercollegiate Debate. It governs university debate in Canada.
How is Canadian Parliamentary different from British Parliamentary?
Both use 7-minute speeches and the same POI window. The key difference is structure: Canadian Parliamentary has 2 teams of 3 speakers with reply speeches, while BP has 4 teams of 2 speakers with no reply speeches.
Is there prep time?
No in-round prep pool. Speeches run back-to-back.

Related guides

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