The Travers Debates
The National Arts Centre
Ottawa

Non-Partisan Party
 Verbal Slugfest
The Ottawa Citizen
2012

James Travers
Journalist

Photo by Wayne Hiebert
© The Ottawa Citizen

Fundraiser
The R. James Travers Foreign Corresponding Fellowship was established following
 the death in 2011
of legendary Canadian journalist Jim Travers,
a former national affairs columnist, newspaper editor and foreign correspondent.

Organized by friends of Jim's along with
 honorary co-chairs The Hon. John Manley

 and The Hon. Peter Kent, the Travers Debates features
an all-star cast of Ottawa notables.

  
Photo of Lois by Bill Blackstone
Events
©Photos by Lois Siegel

Broadcaster 2012 chairman Don Newman 
hosted the evening 


The Hon. Hugh Segal
kept the debaters in line as moderator


And former auditor general Sheila Fraser


prevented any overruns in her role
as official timekeeper.

A rousing, fun time was had by all

 First Debate
"Twitter will be the Death of Journalism" 

Chantal Hebert
of The Star/Le Devoir


And NDP House Leader Nathan Cullen
Argued in favour of the motion


Versus

Interim Liberal Leader Bob Rae

 
and CBC's Kady O'Malley
Opposed

Second Debate
"The Future of the United States
 is Brighter than that of Canada."

Author and columnist Dan Gardner argued
for the United States

While pollster, political adviser
and pundit Allan Gregg defended Canada's honour

The Debaters in Action

Chantal Hebert


Bob Rae


Nathan Cullen


Kady O'Malley

Dan Gardner

Allan Gregg

Laughter

The Hon. Hugh Segal


John Chenier


Al MacKay, Co-Chair

People

Phil Gibson

Craig Oliver
Chief Political Correspondent
CTV News

Robyn Osgood, Lisa Courtney Lloyd, Caroline Mitchell

Patrick and Joan Travers

Audience

Silent Auction












1968 Photo by Peter Bregg of Pierre Trudeau
hanging himself with a National Press Club necktie

An early Donato caricature of Brian Mulroney
Toronto Sun


An 1875 drawing of the Parliamentary Press Gallery

Photo by Bruno Schlumberger
 Ottawa Citizen

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