Welcome to the DAV Website
The DAV is a non-profit association which exists to promote debate. It
is the peak debating body in Victoria and runs large competitions for
adults and for schools across Victoria. It provides training and
resources for debaters, teachers and adjudicators.
Schools Competition Resource Guides
The DAV publishes a Resource Guide which provides a brief for particular topics to facilitate student research for prepared topic debates. If feedback from a regional night held early in a round indicates that a topic is causing difficulties, additional detail will be added to the Resource Guide entry for that topic (but this is the only intervention we will undertake).
The Resource Guide is not a substitute for proper preparation, and its aim is simply to help you prepare your own case. You should not structure your case around the questions asked, nor should you rely too heavily only on the articles to which we provide links. Any ideas that the Resource Guide gives you will need to be explained just like any other material.
Resource Guides will be developed by our experienced adjudicating team and will be published over the coming weeks with priority given to earliest rounds. If you do not see a guide here yet, please check back again soon.
A guide on how to approach Secret Topics can be found here.
A Grade
Round 2: That we prefer a hung parliament to a majority government
Round 3: Secret Topic
Round 4: Secret Topic
Round 5: Secret Topic
B Grade
Round 1: That artists should be held legally accountable for deaths and injuries that occur at their concerts
Round 2: That only citizens and permanent residents should be able to own property in Australia
Round 3: Secret Topic
Round 4: Secret Topic
Round 5: Secret Topic
C Grade
Round 1: That we should boycott major sporting events held in countries with poor human rights records
Round 2: That parliamentarians should be allowed to hold citizenship other than Australian citizenship
Round 3: Advised: Science and Health
Round 4: Secret Topic
Round 5: That crops that require substantial environmental altering (irrigation, fertilizers, etc.) should not be allowed to be grown in Australia Coming Soon
D Grade
Round 1: That sporting bodies should not accept sponsorship from gambling companies
Round 2: That we should abolish the Australian citizenship test
Round 3: That the government should employ state artists (E.g. Poet Laureate)
Round 4: That the ABC should only show Australian-made content
Round 5: That we regret the rise of social media in fighting crime Coming Soon