Free · CUSID format · POI window built in

Canadian Parliamentary debate timer (CUSID)

Free CUSID timer. Full Canadian Parliamentary speech order preloaded, automatic POI window cue (minutes 1–6), and real-time sync between the judge's phone and the debater's screen.

Open timer — no signup See the speech order
Works on any phone, tablet, or laptop · Used across the Canadian university circuit

Canadian Parliamentary at a glance

Canadian Parliamentary (CUSID) is closely related to British Parliamentary and Asian Parliamentary — all three use 7-minute speeches with POI windows. The CUSID format has its own distinct speech order: two government and two opposition constructive speakers, then two deputies, followed by reply speeches.

DebateClock has the full CUSID speech order preloaded as a single preset. Select "Canadian Parliamentary (CUSID)" from the format picker and the correct 8 speeches load automatically with the right POI windows.

CUSID speech order

PM, LO, MG, MO, DPM, DLO, then Opposition and Government replies — in the correct order.

POI window 1:00–6:00

Amber cue appears on the debater display at 1:00 and clears at 6:00 of each constructive.

No prep pool

Canadian Parliamentary has no in-round prep time. Speeches run back-to-back.

Two-device sync

Judge controls from a phone. Debater watches a full-screen countdown on a laptop.

Canadian Parliamentary (CUSID) speech order

#SpeechSideTimePOI Window
01Prime MinisterGOV7:001:00 – 6:00
02Leader of OppositionOPP7:001:00 – 6:00
03Member of GovernmentGOV7:001:00 – 6:00
04Member of OppositionOPP7:001:00 – 6:00
05Deputy Prime MinisterGOV7:001:00 – 6:00
06Deputy Leader of OppositionOPP7:001:00 – 6:00
07Leader of Opposition ReplyOPP4:00None
08Prime Minister ReplyGOV4:00None

No prep pool. Speeches run back-to-back. Opposition reply precedes government reply.

Using the timer in a CUSID round

The two-device pattern works the same way for CUSID rounds as it does for other formats. The judge or timekeeper opens the timer on one device — typically a phone — and starts each speech as the speaker begins. The room's debaters and observers watch a second device, usually a laptop or larger phone propped at the front of the room, showing a full-screen countdown.

The amber POI badge appears at exactly 1:00 of each constructive speech and disappears at exactly 6:00. POIs offered outside this window should not be accepted. Reply speeches do not show the POI badge because POIs are not allowed in replies.

  1. Open the timer from any device with a modern browser. Select "Canadian Parliamentary (CUSID)" from the format picker on the home page, or use the direct link at the top of this page.
  2. The controller device shows the full speech order. Tap a speech to start it; the timer runs on both the controller and the debater display.
  3. Use the second device's "Open debater view" link to display a clean full-screen countdown for the room.
  4. For prep before the round, set a separate phone alarm for 15 minutes — CUSID prep is not built into the round timer because no prep occurs during the round itself.
  5. If the round runs out of order or a speaker drops, use the manual speech selector to jump to the correct position.

How Canadian Parliamentary fits among parli formats

Canadian Parliamentary is one of several closely related parliamentary debate formats used internationally. The major siblings are British Parliamentary (used at WUDC and most European university circuits), Asian Parliamentary (used across South and Southeast Asia and Australasia), and World Schools (used at WSDC and many high school circuits worldwide).

All four formats use 7- or 8-minute speeches with POI windows. The structural differences are team count and reply speech rules:

If your debaters are familiar with one of these formats, the others are quick to learn — the main adjustments are speech order conventions and the inclusion or omission of reply speeches. DebateClock includes presets for all four, accessible from the format picker on the main timer page.

Frequently asked questions

What is CUSID debate?
CUSID stands for Canadian University Society for Intercollegiate Debate. It is the governing body for university debate in Canada, and Canadian Parliamentary is the primary format used at CUSID tournaments. The format is structurally a two-team parli format with reply speeches — similar to Asian Parliamentary, distinct from the four-team British Parliamentary format used at WUDC.
What are the speech times in Canadian Parliamentary debate?
Canadian Parliamentary (CUSID) uses six 7-minute constructive speeches followed by two 4-minute reply speeches. Speech order is Prime Minister, Leader of Opposition, Member of Government, Member of Opposition, Deputy Prime Minister, Deputy Leader of Opposition, Opposition Reply, and Prime Minister Reply. Total round length is roughly 50 minutes for the speeches themselves, plus brief transitions between speakers.
When is the POI window open in Canadian Parliamentary?
Points of Information may be offered between the 1-minute and 6-minute marks of each 7-minute constructive speech. The first and last minute are protected — POIs offered in those windows should not be accepted. Reply speeches (the last two speeches of the round) have no POI window at all.
Is there prep time in Canadian Parliamentary?
There is no in-round prep pool in Canadian Parliamentary debate. Speeches run back-to-back without prep between them. Most CUSID tournaments give teams 15 minutes of prep time before the round begins to research the motion, but once the round starts there is no further preparation period.
How is Canadian Parliamentary different from British Parliamentary?
Both use 7-minute speeches and the same POI window (1:00 to 6:00). The structural difference is team count and reply speeches. British Parliamentary uses four teams of two speakers (Opening Government, Opening Opposition, Closing Government, Closing Opposition) with no reply speeches. Canadian Parliamentary uses two teams of three — PM, MG, DPM on government, and LO, MO, DLO on opposition — followed by two reply speeches.
How is Canadian Parliamentary different from Asian Parliamentary?
Asian Parliamentary and Canadian Parliamentary are structurally similar — two teams, 7-minute constructive speeches, reply speeches. The differences are speech order conventions (CUSID uses PM, LO, MG, MO, DPM, DLO; Asian Parli uses PM, LO, DPM, DLO, then Government Whip and Opposition Whip) and competitive culture (CUSID rounds tend toward fewer and more substantive POIs).
Which Canadian universities compete in CUSID?
The CUSID circuit includes the major Canadian universities — McGill, Toronto, Queen's, McMaster, Western, Carleton, Ottawa, UBC, Alberta, Calgary, Dalhousie, and others. Tournaments run throughout the academic year, with major individual events at member universities plus the Canadian University National Debating Championships as the marquee end-of-year event.
Can I use this timer for non-CUSID Canadian Parliamentary rounds?
Yes. The timer enforces only the standard CUSID speech order and timing. Any tournament or practice round using the same format (7-minute speeches, two teams, deputies, reply speeches) will work with this preset. For tournaments using non-standard speech times, the custom format option on the main timer lets you set any speech length.
Does the timer signal POIs automatically?
Yes. The debater display shows an amber POI window badge at the 1-minute mark of each constructive speech and removes it at the 6-minute mark. The badge does not appear during reply speeches because POIs are not allowed in replies. Both the judge controller and the debater display see the same signal simultaneously.
Is the timer free?
Yes — completely free, no signup, no account, no ads. The full timer feature set (CUSID preset, POI window signal, two-device sync, format switching) is available without any payment or registration.

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