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Index
Debating an Issue
- 1 Example of How to Debate an Issue
- 101 Resources for Researching
Debate Issues
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1 Example of How to Debate an Issue
Issue 5: Is Canada too dependent on the US?
Facet 5B: Trade
Side: Affirmative (Yes)
Yes, Canada is becoming too dependent on the US! It's right here
in black and white when you read the trade statistics. [Show Statistics
Canada Chart.] In fact, it's here twice—once under "Exports"
and once under "Imports."
Let's look at our exports first. This Statistics Canada table [Look at
that table] begins with 1993, and it shows how goods were pouring out
of our country into the US. They were 78% of our total exports. But what
really worries me is the trend. In just five years, our exports to the
US rose to almost 84% of our total exports by 1998. [Show Exports "Pie
Chart."] I'm showing the Statistics Canada data in what is often
called a pie chart. Look at the piece of the pie that is being gobbled
up by the US; it's big enough to feed a giant. [Show that it is most of
the export "pie."] Compare that with the little piece of the
pie for the rest of the world. We're moving closer to having only one
customer, but that customer has many other suppliers competing with us.
Can you imagine trying to get a good price from a customer when you're
in that kind of a bind? We've become so dependent on the US for exports
that it's getting hard to escape: if the trend continues, we'll be even
more at the Americans' mercy; yet, on the other hand, if they stop taking
our exports, we'll lose huge amounts of income. In 1993, it amounted to
less than $5,000 a year for each of us. That's a lot, but by 1998 it was
eight-five hundred, which means $34,000 a year for a family of four. We
need export dollars, but we need to rely much less on the one hungry giant
customer. We're too dependent on the US.
Now let's look at our imports. The Statistics Canada chart [Look at that
chart again] is again a cause for worry. By 1998, our US imports had risen
to 77% of our import total. Well over three-quarters of the goods coming
into this country are American. Let's look at a pie chart that I made
with the Statistics Canada data. [Show Imports Pie Chart. Allow a moment
for the visual message to sink in.] That's a lot of American pie! We need
imports, but we could bring in more from cultures around the world. I
guess it's a question of values, and in my multicultural value system
this pie chart of imports shows that we're too dependent on what the US
giant feeds us.
I've been talking with you about an economic issue, but the issue goes
deeper than that. This kind of economic dependence on the US is similar
to one person's economic dependence on another. Most kids don't mind it
too much, but most grown-ups do. Let's be a grown-up country.
Visuals to support my debate presentation:
- "Statistics Canada Table": "Imports and exports
of goods . . ." table from the Statistics Canada Website. It is
a one-page table that shows Canada's export, import, and trade balance
figures from 19931998, including total figures, US figures, and
figures for Canada's other main trading partners.
Note: I will ensure that all of these visuals are large enough
for legibility. However, it is not necessary for people to be able
to read the Statistics Canada table, since my purpose is only to illustrate
that I am using a table from the Statistics Canada source.
- Exports Pie Chart: Pie chart with a US flag flying over a Canada-red
part that is almost 84% of the total area. Remaining part labelled "Rest
of the world" in a light peach colour.
Imports Pie Chart: Pie chart with a US flag flying over a US-blue part
that is about 77% of the total area. Remaining part labelled "Rest
of the World" in a light peach colour
One opposing argument that I anticipate:
It's a mistake to say we are too dependent on our American neighbours
just because we trade a lot with them. Trade has always led to prosperity.
That is why most prosperous cities are trade centres on trade routes.
We are fortunate to have so much trade and prosperity. We are even more
fortunate that we share so much of it with our American friends. That's
especially obvious because B.C. suffered the effects of the economic Asian
flu for several years.
How I might refute that argument in a rebuttal:
My worthy opponent is right about two things: (1) trade is good,
and (2) our location on trade routes helps us to prosper. Here in B.C.,
we're on some of the best routes to and from Asia, and many Asian-Canadians,
among others, have the knowledge and skills to build our trade with the
economies of Asia, which are growing fast. We are in a great position
to diversify by trading with more countries, especially now that Asia
seems to have got the better of the economic Asian flu. Diversification
is good. It means less dependence on the U.S. Sooner or later the U.S.
giant will get economic American flu. The Americans will pass the flu
bug on to us, but with diversification we may not even lose a night's
sleep. Being less dependent on the U.S. will make us more comfortable
and secure.
Works Consulted
Fisheries and Oceans Canada. "Pacific Salmon Treaty." 3
June 1999. Online.
Available: http://www.ncr.dfo.ca/pst-tsp/main_e.htm.
2 Sep. 1999.
Statistics Canada. "Imports and Exports of Goods on a Balance-of-Payments
Basis." Online. Available: http://www.statcan.ca/english/Pgdb/Economy/International/gblec02a.htm.
4 Sep. 1999.
Reed, Maureen, and Daniel Hiebert. Microsoft Encarta 98 Encyclopedia.
CD-ROM. Microsoft. 1997.
Citizens Concerned About Free Trade. "Did you know?" Online.
Available: http://web.idirect.com/~ccaft/index.html.
2 Sep. 1999.
Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade. "Investment
Information." 1999. Online.
Available: http://www.dfait-maeci.gc.ca/investcan/frames.e.htm.
2 Sep. 1999.
Freshwater Website. "Strategy Launched to Prohibit the Bulk Removal
of Canadian Water, Including Water for Export." Environment Canada.
10 Feb. 1999. Online. Department of Foreign Affairs and International
Trade. Available: http://www.dfait-maeci.gc.ca/english/news/press_releases/99_press/99_023-e.htm.
2 Sep. 1999. (This URL updated May 17/00)
The debate presentation is a revised version of a student's
work. Reproduced courtesy of the student.
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