The Roger Watts Debate
Be it resolved that Canada create a national drone program for civilian and military use.
Top UBC Okanagan undergraduate student debaters argued their case before a panel of community judges who decided the winners.
Prizes of $1,000 for the first-place finishers and $500 for the runners-up were awarded. Student participants also had the opportunity to compete for the People’s Choice Award in the amount of $500.
Congratulations to the winners of the 2026 Roger Watts Debate!
Government
Kamran Ismayilov
B.A. in Philosophy, Politics, Economics 4th Year
Our Prime Minister, Kamran Ismayilov, is a member of the PPE Student Association and the VP Events of the SUO Pre-Law Society. He graduates this year with honours in PPE and will begin his Law studies in September.
Ava Rothmaier
B.A. in Political Science 3rd YEAR
Our Member of Government, Ava Rothmaier, is from Kincardine, Ontario. Ava is the co-founder and co-president of the Political Science Student Association at UBCO and Vice President Internal of UBCO’s Runnymede Society. She is a third year political science student, and is planning to study law post graduation.
Opposition
Dhayven Khabra
B.A. in International Relations 1st YEAR
Dhayven is a first-year student at UBC Okanagan considering a major in International Relations, with plans to pursue law at UBC. He previously attended Fleetwood Park Secondary in the Lower Mainland, where he frequently competed in debate, including at the CNDF Provincials in Victoria.
Nicole Ménard
B.A. in philosophy 4th YEAR
Nicole Ménard is in her final year of a BA in Philosophy. She co-runs the Philosophy Course Union. After graduating, she plans on continuing on to a Masters or Phd program in Philosophy.
Alternates
Kithe Kisia
BSC in Computer Science 3rd YEAR
Our Alternate for the Opposition, Kithe Kisia , is an international student from Kenya and former Team Kenya debater. He is in his third year of Computer Science.
Cullen Vaney
Bachelor of ComMERCE 1ST YEAR
Our alternate for the Government, Cullen Vaney, is from Abbotsford BC and is a first-year commerce student. He will also pursue a minor in Sociology.
Wendy Thiessen
Wendy Thiessen is an experienced commercial litigator. She maintains a broad civil litigation practice, guiding individuals and businesses through contract, property, real estate and business disputes. She also actively practices in the areas of estate and construction disputes, as well as administrative law matters. Wendy frequently appears at the Supreme Court of British Columbia.
Max Walker
Max Walker has a taxation practice advising clients on a range of issues. He provides guidance on income and sales tax matters in connection with private equity funds and a range of commercial transactions, tax compliance for both commercial and non-commercial organizations, and regularly advises on pension fund investment structuring and taxation. His practice also includes personal tax and estate planning, as well as issues related to the British Columbia property transfer tax and sales tax.
Sarah Murdoch
Sarah Murdoch is a librarian with experience in school and medical libraries. She has a particular interest in censorship. Dr. Carl Hodge, the originator of the Roger Watts Debate, considers Sarah an excellent judge of debate performance, noting, “I trust her judgment as much as my own.”
Gavin Dew
Gavin Dew is the Conservative MLA in Kelowna-Mission. He is a business leader, entrepreneur, and executive with extensive experience in governance and public policy. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in English literature from the University of British Columbia and an MBA from The University of Oxford, specializing in corporate social responsibility.
The Roger Watts Debate is a partnership of the Irving K. Barber Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences’ Department of Economics, Philosophy and Political Science and a community advisory committee.
The annual event provides a public forum for top UBC Okanagan undergraduate student debaters to debate current events and complex topics while sharpening their critical thinking, public speaking and persuasive communication skills.
The Roger Watts Debate is made possible through the generous support of:
SPONSORS
| Roger Watts Memorial Fund, Central Okanagan Foundation |
 |
| Sandra Watts |
About the Debate
Interested in participating in the debate?
The next qualifying run-off will take place in March 2026.
A Roger Watts Debate has been held annually since 2014. Resolutions and participants over the past ten years have been as follows:
2025: Be it resolved that Canada adopt a policy of retaliatory trade tariffs against the United States, even at the cost of Economic prosperity.
Government:
Mihai Covaser, Tak Machiri (winners)
Opposition:
Maziar Matin Panah, Tade Haghverdian
Alternates:
Bryce Ramos, Luke Larsen
People’s Choice Award:
Mihai Covaser, Tade Haghverdian
2023: Be it resolved that Canada’s affordability crisis justifies a temporary wealth tax.
Government:
Braeden Gervais, Ayomide Maxwell (winners)
Opposition:
Chanidu Gamage, Trinity Schredl
Alternates:
Mihai Covaser, Ideja Efendija
2022: Be it resolved that the Emergencies Act is justifiably used to quell civil disobedience.
Government:
Braeden Gervais, Heather Sham
Opposition:
Ideja Efendija, Toney Bedell (winners)
Alternates:
Lakshay Karnwal, Mihai Covaser
People’s Choice Award: Toney Bedell
2021: Be it resolved that the government should have the ability to make vaccination mandatory
Government:
Christine Semeniuk, Toney Bedell
Opposition:
Braeden Gervais, Lakshay Karnwal (Winners)
Alternates:
Trinity Schredl, Brendan Stewart
People’s Choice Award:
Christine Semeniuk
2020: Be it resolved that technology is our best answer to climate change
Finalists – Cowinners:
Kathleen Lortie, Braeden Gervais, Toney Bedell, Nicole Michalewicz
Alternates:
Christine Semeniuk, Nathan Romanchych
2019: Be it resolved that Canada needs more pipelines
Government:
Christine Semeniuk, Michaela Sullivan-Paul
Opposition:
Toney Bedell, Nick Huertas (Winners)
Alternates:
Mackenzie Edwards, Davis Tessema
2018: Be it resolved that Western democracies are failing
Government:
Tyrel Lamoureux, Jason Wu
Opposition:
Mackenzie Edwards, Laura Fylyshtan (Winners)
Alternates:
Brett Shaigec, Michaela Sullivan-Paul
2017: Be it resolved that personalities have replaced issues in politics
Government:
Tyrel Lamoureux, Laurence Watt
Opposition:
Michael Flood, Nicole Tomasic (Winners)
Alternates:
Jordan Britnell, Mackenzie Edwards
2016: Be it resolved that Canada has an obligation to take refugees
Government:
Lina Gomez, Daniel Kandie
Opposition:
Sarah Nunis, Kimberly Owuor (Winners)
Alternates:
Alana Firedancer, Richard McCurrach
2015: Be it resolved that government surveillance is justified
Government:
Kevin Ilomin, Ayla Lovell
Opposition:
Sutheeksan (Dixon) Sunthoram, Laurence Watt (Winners)
Alternates:
Alina Malicki Casas, Tyrel Lamoureux
2014: Be it resolved that social media brings us closer
Government:
Maisha Maliha Badhon, Jordan Kostaschuk
Opposition:
Kathryn Helmore, David MacLean (Winners)
Alternate:
Kevin Ilomin
The standard format used for Roger Watts Debates has been as follows:
(i) Opening remarks
(ii) Introductions
(iii) Debate
Prime Minister five minutes opening
Leader of the Opposition five minutes response
Deputy Prime Minister eight minutes response
Deputy Leader of the Opposition eight minutes response
Rapid Fire Round eight minutes (no speaker to exceed two minutes)
Leader of the Opposition three minutes closing statement
Prime Minister three minutes closing statement
Students are paired in teams of two representing both sides – Government and Opposition
The debate will be conducted as follows:
- Prime Minister
- Leader of the Opposition
- Deputy Prime Minister
- Deputy leader of the Opposition
- Open Debate
- Deputy Prime Minister
- Deputy leader of the Opposition
- Prime Minister
- Leader of the Opposition
All instructions, debate teams, and motions will be sent about a week before the runoffs.
Roger Dennis Watts
1945-2011
Born in Scotland in 1945, Roger was a well-travelled child having lived between Britain, Canada and California before moving to Africa in 1953. He fondly remembered his youth spent in Rhodesia and South Africa prior to his return to Canada in 1958. He handled the relocations by developing a charm to captivate new friends everywhere he went.
Known by all who had the opportunity to spend time with him as a man of compassion, energy and generosity, he truly savoured each day and lived life to the fullest. He lit up any room he entered with his unabashed, hearty laughter and his infectious enthusiasm for life. He loved to be surrounded by friends and family, an audience for his copious stories. He was always up for adventure and loved travelling, playing tennis and sailing. A true romantic, he embraced his dreams as well as the dreams and passions of those around him.
Roger obtained both his bachelor and Law degrees from the University of British Columbia. Called to the British Columbia Bar in May, 1975, he then moved to the Okanagan to start his first law practice and to raise his family. Roger practiced personal injury law focusing on complex brain & spinal injuries and chronic pain with an emphasis on jury trials.
He developed a long and successful career as a trial lawyer filled with unbridled passion.
In Roger’s words:
“I endeavor to meet each of my clients with compassion to listen and learn about you, your background, your family and your dreams for the future.
I am also committed to fighting passionately on your behalf against administration, rules and the system, and to communicate to the court that you are not just a number in the queue, but an individual who matters with real hardship.”
Roger loved to teach and mentored many articling students who aspired to be trial lawyers. He spoke about the powers of advocacy as a guest lecturer on Contemporary Canadian Law in the Political Science department at UBCO. It is very fitting that an endowment fund set up in his memory is now supporting young advocates of the future.
Read the article published in The Advocate by Walley Lightbody, Q.C., and Roger Watts Jr.
Watch the 2025 Roger Watts Debate
Donate
The event is made possible through our generous donors and community sponsors. Donations are welcome and payable to the Central Okanagan Foundation Roger Watts Debate Fund. Donate by selecting “Watts, Roger Memorial Fund” from the drop-down menu.