asters 2014 (Monash) Round 1 That parents and educators should actively encourage children to invest in their attractiveness That we should replace schools in low socio economic areas, with privately run for profit schools, where parents borrow against the future income potential of students to cover tuition fees That we support ‘Tiger Parenting’ (Tiger parenting is strict or demanding and pushes children to reach high levels of achievement) Round 2 That probable worse treatment in prison should be a mitigating factor in sentencing That ex-prisoners who remain in long-term unemployment should be able to sue the government for damages That we should introduce the criminal verdict of 'not proven', which if found would allow a re-trial if new evidence came to light Round 3 That we should repeal the prohibition on speech which 'offends, insults, humiliates or intimidates' racial minorities That the gay community should boycott Grindr (Grindr is a networking application geared towards gay, bisexual, and bi-curious men. It uses a geolocation device to allow users to locate other men within close proximity) That Game of Thrones is good for feminism Round 4 That we should appoint upper houses based on random lottery That we should make the salary of politicians proportional to the economic performance of the country they govern That former party staffers and elected officials should be barred from taking up positions as professional lobbyists (Professional lobbyists are individuals employed in the private or non-government sector to influence government policy in their favour) Round 5 That we, as Russia, would not have sent troops into Crimea That African nations should boycott the International Criminal Court That nations that have had ethnic conflicts should criminalize discussion of and/or references to ethnicity Round 6 That we should ban ‘Virginity Sales’ (Virginity sales are when an individual auctions off the right to take their virginity to the highest bidder) That we should measure the efficacy of charities and strip those with comparatively low value of their charitable status That we should censor parts of holy scriptures that overtly support violence or discrimination against minorities Octofinal That we should link development aid to a reduction in military spending That we should subject all indutrialization projects (e.g. Mining, construction of dams and roads etc.) to approval by the immediately yaffected local communities That the United Nations should hold in trust the profits of natural resource extraction in developing countries, until they reach a level of economic development and poltical stability Quater final That we should abolish income tax That governments should set ALL wages That governments should actively discourage home ownership Semifinal That ethics boards should always include lay representation (Ethics boards are formed by research institutions and/or hospitals to make decisions about what is ethically permissible with regards to research and medical procedures. Right now they are made up of professional ethicists and experts in the specific field.) That, in the context of limited medical resources, the state should be permitted to euthanize patients in state care with incurable, degenerative mental or cognative illness, regardless of their consent. That states should put lithium or other anti-depressants with minimal to no side effects in water supplies during times of increased unhappiness e.g. recession. Grand Final That the government should fund media and pop culture that portrays mental illness as a normal and acceptable condition That we should force artists to blind cast, unless a direct and proven need to do otherwise can be demonstrated (blind casting is the act of ignoring racial features, gender, sexuality etc. when casting) That Western media ought depict Islamic terrorists as criminals with legitimate political grievnances Easters 2013 (Griffith) Round 1: That access to state schools should be means tested That we should, in the context of a limited budget, halve the number of teachers and their pay should be doubled That we should ban children from participating in reality television shows Round 2: That left-leaning Australians should vote for the Greens That Australians should be able to call a by-election for their local electorate if a significant number of constituents sign a petition That the Australian Labor Party should immediately replace Julia Gillard with Kevin Rudd as Prime Minister Round 3: That we should not give development aid to countries without population controls That South Korea should pre-emptively strike North Korea That we should support Obama's use of drones in the war on terror Round 4: That Australia should cut taxes on income and profits in remote communities That severely indebted nations should take money from the bank accounts of their citizens to pay for the nations' debt That employees should be able to permanently opt-out of union membership in return for higher wages Round 5: That people who go on killing sprees should be given the death penalty That the state should financially compensate all people found not guilty at trial That early guilty pleas should not result in sentence reductions Round 6: That transgender people should form a new movement separate to the gay and lesbian movement That individuals should be able to opt-in to legally enforceable, permanent bans from vice activities (e.g. smoking, drinking, gambling, soliciting prostitution, viewing pornography) That local communities should be allowed to censor media consumed in their area on the basis of their moral or political beliefs Octo finals: That home births should be banned That custody of children born to mothers under 16 should go to the baby's grandparents That we should abolish foster care Quarter finals: That we should cut military aid to Saudi Arabia until they liberalise policies towards women That the invasion of Afghanistan has done more harm than good That it would be better for Palestinians to be absorbed into neighboring Arab states than to continue to fight for a homeland Semi finals: That feminists Christians should leave their church if it is sexist That we should ban religions from advocating self harm as a form of penance That the Catholic church should choose to elect its pope by a popular vote of all church going Catholics Grand final: That we would grant the Northern Territory to Indigenous people as an independent nation That it should be illegal to publically argue that the Stolen Generation was beneficial or justified That the government should not grant Native Title rights to Indigenous groups that do not select their leaders democratically Easters 2012 (ANU) Round 1 - Religion That neighbourhoods should be allowed to veto the construction of religious buildings That we should remove the tax exempt status of religions that refuse to have female or homosexual leaders That we should ban circumcision Round 2 - People Getting What They Deserve That Obama deserves a second term That juries that believe a conviction would be socially unjust should be allowed to return a verdict of 'not guilty' That the prison system should be privatized Round 3 - Economics That we should ban foreclosures where the occupants would become homeless or dependent on the State That government contracts in the developing world should only be given to local goods and services That the government should set a national maximum on the hours that any employee can work Round 4 - Politics That Australia should require governments to achieve a parliamentary majority before they are able to govern That governments should allow conscience votes on issues of moral controversy That the media should be banned from speculating about leadership challenges until a challenger publicly announces their intention to challenge Round 5 - Asia-Pacific That American should not commit drone attacks in Pakistan without Pakistan's permission That Australia should pay its Asia-Pacific neighbours to take its refugees That South East Asian countries should establish government-run brothels for sex tourism Round 6 - Social Policy That the State should be liable to pay compensation for injuries or deaths caused by being homeless That we should force feed anorexics That we should cap the total amount payable by negligent medical practitioners to their patients Octo-Finals - Gender That we should ban corporations from marketing childrens' toys towards specific genders That we should regret the social norm towards long-term monogamous relationships That we should not allow people alleging sexual harassment to settler their lawsuits out of court Quarter-Finals - International Relations That the West should cease support for the Libyan Transitional Council until it agrees to hand-over Gaddafi's associates for trial at the ICC, instead of domestic trial That the Israeli government should refuse to protect settlements created by Jewish people without the authorization of the State That Western charities should use simple, emotive social media campaigns (modeled on Kony2012) to pursue policy goals Semi-Finals - Liberty That we should actively prevent the contacting of the tribes of the Amazon that have not yet been contacted That corporations should be allowed to pay a higher wage to employees who agree not to have children during their term of employment That the government should fund graphic and confronting advertising campaigns against the production and consumption of meat Grand Final - Law & Order That we should hold correctional officers strictly liable for the crimes that occur on their watch That the sentences given to murderers should reflect the social value of their victim, accounting for their profession, number of dependents and contribution to society. That vigilantism should be a defence to criminal charges in jurisdictions with extremely high crime rates. Easters 2011 (Adelaide) Round 1: That the government should top up the salaries of high performing university graduates who take public interest jobs That we should nationalize all non-government schools That we should allow local school boards to ban books from schools Round 2: That we should never give non-violent offenders a custodial sentence That the states should employ ex-prisoners That we should use solitary confinement as a punishment Round 3: That we should ban political advertising that isn’t attributed to a political party That Australian political parties should adopt US-style primaries to select their candidates That voting should be conditional on passing a civics test Round 4: That Australia should cut all government funding of the film industry That we should remove all restrictions on profane language in the media That funding for the arts should only be given to work representing marginalized groups Round 5: That we should abolish the defence of provocation That we should abolish trial by jury That hate groups should be forced to pay compensation to the subjects of their hate Round 6: That parents should not be able to choose the gender or race of their adopted children That we should remove all tax benefits and incentives for families with children That paternity tests should be mandatory at birth Octofinals That we should Grant amnesty to dictators who voluntarily step down ex/current military not in government teaching english as first language in developing world Quaterfinals That all indigenous students should be compelled to attend urban boarding school That we should limit the amount of alcohol individuals can purchase within a given amount of time That indigenous groups should be granted exclusive ownership rights over the words and symbols associated with their culture Semifinals That all energy policy should be subject to being overruled by citizen-initiated referenda That we should prohibit protests outside abortion clinics That beastiality should be legal where no harm to animal Grand Final That we shoukd allow charities to pay drug addicts to be sterilized That the west has a moral obligation to use force to ensure democracy in Libya That we should encourage separate LGBT schools Easters 2010 (Melbourne) Round 1 That we should use racial profiling as a tool of law enforcement. That we should use torture in domestic law enforcement against convicted criminals who have information which could prevent future deaths. That Australia should provide South East Asian nations with any information regarding drug trafficking even if this may lead to Australians receiving the death penalty. Round 2 That we should require the ordination of female and homosexual priests, reverends, mullahs, rabbis or whatever... That we should ban the teaching of abstinence-only policies in schools. That Australians should have the right to have their family and financial disputes heard before a religious court with the agreement of all parties. Round 3 That we should legalise commercial surrogacy. That we should provide financial incentives for fathers to live with their child and its mother. That we should legalise sibling incest. Round 4 That we should ban the embedding of journalists in armies during wartime to maintain media independence That we should implement a national internet filter That Western States should fine companies which comply with Chinese laws censoring pro-democracy media Round 5 That we should abolish all intellectual property That we should impose a 100 percent tax on inheritance That the government should cease paying welfare to people living in areas where there is no prospect of them obtaining work Round 6 That climate sceptics without relevant qualifications should be banned from appearing in the media That we should end the moratorium on commercial whaling That the government should not allow the construction of new homes outside the existing geographic boundaries of major Australian cities Octofinals That the government should provide drugs to addicts That we should allow the advertising of all prescription medicine That the government should outsource the provision of healthcare to private corporations Quaterfinals That we should ban hate speech even where it does not directly incite violence That we should abolish the filibuster in the US Senate That we should allow political parties to designate certain pre-election claims as binding promises, the breaking of which would trigger immediate elections Semifinals That we should create a truth and reconciliation commission with the power to grant amnesties in Sri Lanka That we should provide a guarantee of military intervention to protect democratically elected governments in the Pacific That Israel should abduct and prosecute perpetrators of the holocaust where the country in which they are present refuses to extradite them for any reason Grand Final That the gay community should out closeted gay celebrities That we should allow children to elect to have gender reassignment surgery That African American celebrities should not use the term ‘nigger’ Easters 2009 (UQ) Round 1 - Children That we should prohibit international adoption That children should not be allowed to work in the modeling industry That we should allow corporate sponsorship of schools Round 2 - Disasters That the state should refuse to assist in rebuilding areas prone to extreme weather events That convicted child arsonists should go to conferencing sessions with victims rather than juvenile detention That we should abolish the right to stay and defend during bushfires Round 3 - Sex That the use of condoms in pornography should be mandatory That anonymous sperm donation should be abolished That people should not be allowed to have sex with virtual children in online games Round 4 - Sponsored by UBS That government stimulus packages should not include cash handouts That the implementation of Australia's carbon emissions trading scheme should be postponed That the minimum wage should be frozen during times of recession Round 5 - International Relations That the Unites States should stop giving all forms of aid to Israel That Western governments should stop China from buying their natural resource companies That we should remove all sanctions on North Korea Round 6 - Minorities, homosexuals and women That nightclubs should not be able to exclude people on the basis of sexuality That we should make welfare payments to indigenous parents contingent on their children's attendance at school That custody of children born to young teenage mothers should go to the grandparents Octo-Finals - Civics That all citizens should be required to complete a set amount of community service every year That we should require migrants to pass an exam before granting them citizenship That citizens should be able to recall their government at any time Quarter-Finals - Finance That the government should limit the amount of debt that corporations can have on their balance sheets That the US government should take back executive bonuses paid by companies that have received a bail-out That we should restrict poor people's access to credit Semi-Finals - Health That we should ban homosexual re-education camps That insurance companies should be able to obtain DNA tests from those applying for coverage That it should be an offence for people to fail to have regular medical check-ups Grand Final - Law and Order That we should criminalize membership of bikie gangs That indigenous people convicted of a crime should be sentenced traditionally by their own community That the media should not be allowed to identify criminal suspects before they go to trial Easter 2010 Other Stuff Chief Adjudicator: Seamus Coleman Deputy Chief Adjudicators: Lauren Humphrey, Tim Mooney Round 1 Law & Order Songs: Theme from Law & Order, Bad Boys (theme from Cops), and You Can Call Me Al by Paul Simon Rejected topics That we should catch Obama and elect Osama That we should end the proliferation of ‘Law & Order’ television spin-offs. That we should unleash Dog the Bounty Hunter. That you can taze me anytime. Topics That we should use racial profiling as a tool of law enforcement. That we should use torture in domestic law enforcement against convicted criminals who have information which could prevent future deaths. That Australia should provide South East Asian nations with any information regarding drug trafficking even if this may lead to Australians receiving the death penalty. Round 2 Education and Social Policy (sponsored by Teach for Australia) Songs: Another Brick in the Wall by Pink Floyd, (Remember the Days of the) Old Schoolyard by Cat Stevens Rejected topics That we should require all teachers to receive a breathalyzer test at the start of each work day. That all students should receive a comprehensive drug education (learning through doing). That we should enforce upon the Vatican the doctrine of ‘an eye for an eye’. Topics That we should require the ordination of female and homosexual priests, reverends, mullahs, rabbis or whatever... That we should ban the teaching of abstinence-only policies in schools. That Australians should have the right to have their family and financial disputes heard before a religious court with the agreement of all parties. Round 3 Family Songs: Daddy I'm Fine by Sínead O'Connor, Papa Don't Preach by Kelly Osborne, Sisters are Doin' It for Themselves by Eurythmics Rejected topics That big love is good love. That every soon-to-be father should be kicked in the balls every five minutes whilst his wife is in labour. That we should mandate sibling incest. Topics That we should legalise commercial surrogacy. That we should provide financial incentives for fathers to live with their child and its mother. That we should legalise sibling incest. Round 4 The Media Songs: Radio Ga Ga by Queen, We Didn't Start the Fire by Billy Joel Rejected topics That Michael Moore should be forced to appear naked in all his documentaries. That Ann Coulter is a reanimated corpse. That we should assassinate Rupert Murdoch. Topics That we should ban the embedding of journalists in armies during wartime to maintain media independence That we should implement a national internet filter That Western States should fine companies which comply with Chinese laws censoring pro-democracy media Round 5 Debating Rejected topics That AIDA should abolish all affirmative action requirements That empirical motions are the death of debating That we should scrap the cap1 1Fuck off, Sydney2 2Fuck you, Seamus Economics Songs: Gold Digger by Kanye West, I Love Work by Butterfingers Topics That we should abolish all intellectual property That we should impose a 100 percent tax on inheritance That the government should cease paying welfare to people living in areas where there is no prospect of them obtaining work Round 6 Environment Songs: Beds are Burning by Midnight Oil, Chinese Translation by M Ward, Big Yellow Taxi by Bob Dylan Rejected topics That we should charge with murder those that kill great apes That we should give trees legal standing to sue in court and run for elections. Vote 1 Eucalyptus. That we should legalise the clubbing of Canadians by seals That we should legalise the hunting of the most dangerous game of all: man That we should ban the factory farming of Ian Hutcheon Topics That climate sceptics without relevant qualifications should be banned from appearing in the media That we should end the moratorium on commercial whaling That the government should not allow the construction of new homes outside the existing geographic boundaries of major Australian cities Octo-finals Health Songs: Beds are Burning by Midnight Oil, Chinese Translation by M Ward, Big Yellow Taxi by Bob Dylan Rejected topics That Dr Who has the right medicine for my crushing loneliness That we should deliberately crash a car into Ned Douglas, in a final macabre act of public health awareness That we should fund treatments to normalise autism That we should make the doors to emergency rooms smaller Topics That the government should provide drugs to addicts That we should allow the advertising of all prescription medicine That the government should outsource the provision of healthcare to private corporations Quarter-finals Democracy Songs: Theme from The West Wing by W. G. "Snuffy" Walden, No Motherland Without You by Pochonbo Electronic Ensemble, Reunification Rainbow by Pochonbo Electronic Ensemble Rejected topics That Bart Stupak can have my babies That Team America should be the world police That this House would prefer Palin’s porn-star doppelganger That The West Wing is the best wing. (Thanks, Amit.) Topics That we should ban hate speech even where it does not directly incite violence That we should abolish the filibuster in the US Senate That we should allow political parties to designate certain pre-election claims as binding promises, the breaking of which would trigger immediate elections Semi-finals International Songs: Around the World by Daft Punk Rejected topics That the Inter-American Court of Human Rights should establish a unicameral democracy in Djibouti (the other rejected topics are sadly lost - please email me if you remember them) Topics That we should create a truth and reconciliation commission with the power to grant amnesties in Sri Lanka That we should provide a guarantee of military intervention to protect democratically elected governments in the Pacific That Israel should abduct and prosecute perpetrators of the holocaust where the country in which they are present refuses to extradite them for any reason Grand Final Minority Issues Songs: Young Hearts Run Free by Kym Mazelle Rejected topics That we should decide the Grand Final of Easters by audience vote That we should stop searching for the elusive skinny black jeans gene (Thanks, Amit.) That AIDA should introduce Affirmative Action requirements for non-gay debaters That this House would act to prevent the exploitation of deluded gay people by Lady Gaga Topics That the gay community should out closeted gay celebrities That we should allow children to elect to have gender reassignment surgery That African American celebrities should not use the term ‘nigger’ 2009 Champions: University of Sydney 1 (Eliza Forsyth, Eleanor Jones, Daniel Swain)