What is Intelligence Squared?

IQ² occupies a unique position in Australia’s social and intellectual landscape. It is the only institution in town - aside from Parliament - to provide a forum for debate on the crucial issues of the day.

But unlike Parliament, its debates are consistently exciting, witty, provocative - and comfortable, held as they are at the City Recital Hall Angel Place in Sydney and the Melbourne Town Hall. Best of all, you are invited to watch the live debates and even participate.

Read more about Intelligence Squared Australia and our live debates.

Note that all debates are later broadcast on ABC radio, television and are available as recordings and podcasts online - learn more. Videos of debates will be placed on this website once available.

2012 series

The 2012 national season of the popular IQ² debates is now unveiled! We are delighted to have AMP as national series supporter. The Melbourne debates are a collaboration between St James Ethics Centre and The Wheeler Centre. Check out the challenging series of debates in Sydney and Melbourne!

Sydney:

• May 29: Same sex marriage should not be legalised
• June 26: We've seen the energy future and it's nuclear
• July 31: We've nothing to fear from a powerful China
• August 21: We'd all be better off if farmers could be able to legally say NO to miners
• September 18: There's nothing wrong with designer babies

Melbourne:

• March 20: Animals should be off the menu
• May 8: Freedom of speech is over-rated
• July 4: Foreign aid is a waste of money
• September 25: Western civilisation is in terminal decline
• November 7: A good death is a human right

Special events:

Learn more about our special events.

Past debates:

2011 series

Once available the video for each past debate will be found by following the links below.

• 15 November: The Catholic Church is a force for good in the world - Melbourne
• 11 October: Democracy is failing the planet - Sydney
• 1 October: The media have no morals - Sydney (Festival of Dangerous Ideas)
• 15 September: A tax won't fix climate change - Melbourne
• 6 September: Atheists are wrong - Sydney
• 28 July: There is no justification for risking Australian lives in Afghanistan - Melbourne
• 26 July: If we keep populating we will perish - Sydney
• 16 June: WikiLeaks is a force for good - Sydney
• 24 May: Public funding of private education is unconscionable - Melbourne
• 10 May: All drugs should be legalised - Sydney
• 14 March: Both major parties are failing the Australian people - Melbourne

Earlier series

Learn more about the debates from earlier series - you can also watch videos of each debate.