BP Style

1
BP Style

• With Cameronnnn

2
What is BP?

• Not Australian-style (3 on 3)
• Also known as Worlds-style
• 4 teams
• Each team has two speakers

3
Affirmative / Negative??

• GOVERNMENT

• OPPOSITION

• Team 1 Opening Government
• Prime Minister
• Deputy Prime Minister
• Team 3 Closing Government
• Government Member
• Government Whip

• Team 2 Opening Opposition
• Opposition Leader
• Deputy Opposition Leader
• Team 4 Closing Opposition
• Opposition Member
• Opposition Whip

4
Relationship between the benches

• Must be consistent you are on the same side of
  the house!
• But, you are competing against them too.
• Teams are ranked 1, 2, 3 and 4.
• ? You want to rank better than your other bench.

5
How to win

• Beat your opposition (ie the other side of the
  house)
• Beat your bench (ie in front/behind you).
• Coming up tactics how to do this.

6
Speaker roles

• PM (OG)
• Very similar to First Affirmative
• Define the topic (BP topics often require more
  definition)
• Make substantive arguments probably two
• Try to cover the most important material in the
  debate

7
Speaker Roles

• Opposition Leader (Opening Opposition)
• Same as OG, but with rebutal
• Dont spend too long rebutting
• Deputy PM / Deputy Opposition Leader?
• Like a second speaker in Australian style
• Rebut, then present substantive arguments

8
Speaker Roles

• The Closing Benches!
• Member Speakers
• Identify a what you will be bringing to the
  debate
• A case extension or case development
• Rebut, particularly focussing on the new stuff
• Present substantive arguments ie the stuff you
  said you would bring to the debate.

9
Speaker Roles

• Whip Speakers
• Similar to a 3rd speech in Australs
• No substantive matter
• A summary of the key issues in the debate.
• But, more importantly -? a summary of why your
  team had the best understanding of these issues.
• A biased summary!

10
What is a case extension?

• Differentiating yourself from your opening bench
• Consistent with them, but better.
• Eg of inconsistency
• Worlds Final ? abortion
• Opening We will assume that foetuses are a
  life
• Closing There is a chance that foetuses are not
  a life... So, well present the following
  arguments...
• BP is about being the most relevant team in the
  debate show that your stuff was more important
  than everyone elses

11

• Our opening bench has done a fine job of....
• However, whats been missing from todays debate
  so far is a proper understanding of....

12
What is a case extension?

• A few ways to think about it
• Very important points that were not made
• Eg different stakeholders in the debate
• The children!
• Eg a different set of issues
• The environment!
• This is probably the type of case extension you
  should look for tonight
• The risk is ? relevance!
• The third world!

13

• Examining a big issue that hasnt been developed
  properly
• Eg
• Importance of non-intervention
• Importance of individual autonomy / consent
• The role of the government
• Practical issues about the proposal why it
  would / wouldnt work

14

• Shifting the perspective of the debate
• Eg
• Consequences for the region
• Consequences for the feminist movement
• Consequences in the war on terror
• How to choose a case extension?
• What seem to be the problems with your side that
  are emerging?

15
Tactics

• Pick sides, buddy up
• Who is winning?
• Opening/closing half debates
• Govt / opposition bench debates
• Aim to come second.
• First ? overreach

16
Points of Information

• Try to accept two in your speeches
• where convenient!
• Do your best to handle them. Sometimes youll
  have to fudge it.
• Try to offer two POIs in each opposition
  speech.
• 8 in the debate.
• Keep them brief
• Dont engage in a discussion

17
What should they be about?

• Counter-example.
• Eg, Point of information you say that sanctions
  work but sanctions have been imposed on Cuba for
  more than 30 years.
• Drawing attention to a forgotten argument.
• Eg, Point of information when will you respond
  to our argument that the media wont give the
  Greens favourable coverage because the Greens are
  too radical?
• Important tactically for opening/closing teams
• Bad logic/inconsistency
• Eg, Point of information your first speaker
  said that we should be tough on dole bludgers but
  now youre saying that Work for the Dole is the
  best way to help them. Surely you cant have it
  both ways.
• Clarification of the definition.
• Eg, Point of information what sort of republic
  do you support?

18
Adjudicating

• A rank 1-4
• Consider similar factors to Australs style
• But, also consider
• Which team was the most relevant in the debate?
• Which team did the best job in their role?
• Take into account that opening teams have less
  time. Even if their closing had more material,
  did the opening speak well enough to make it
  tough for their closing?
• 75 is still the average score, but the range of
  scores is much larger!
• 65 lowest
• 90 highest
• Wins are not likely to be by 3 points, as in
  Australs, because you need to separate 4 teams
  from each other.