THE English debating teams of the Hong Kong University (HKU) and the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CU) both came up smiling in the finals of this year's Intervarsity Debating Contest. Speaking on the motion 'The 1996-97 Budget for Hong Kong should be prepared in consultation with the Chinese Government', both teams presented good arguments and the contest was declared a draw. The debating contest, started in 1972, alternates each year between English and Cantonese and, to maintain spontaneity, competitors only find out an hour before the debate what the topic is. The last time the two rivals recorded a draw in the English debate was 10 years ago, when the teams debated the motion 'By 1997 all Legislative Council members should be elected directly by the people of Hong Kong'. 'We are not disappointed. We found it very enjoyable,' said Mandy Wong Man, the captain of the HKU team. 'The pressure of impromptu matches is heavy, but I think we demonstrated a high level of co-operation throughout the contest,' she said. The CU team was hoping to record its third consecutive victory. 'It was a bit disappointing, but we tried our best,' the CU team manager, Alice Kwok Ah-see, said. Both teams said they felt the debate could have been more animated if they had concentrated more on arguing the facts rather than becoming bogged down in a war of words over the definition of the term 'consultation'. The CU team, who argued for the motion, stuck to the literal meaning of consultation, saying it referred to seeking advice and opinions. They emphasised consulting the Chinese Government would be beneficial to the development of the territory and the confidence of Hong Kong people. The HKU team attacked their rival's 'ignorance of reality' and interpreted consultation as 'active participation' which meant China would have a 'vital say' in the Budget formulation. They argued that it was not necessary or feasible for the Chinese Government to participate actively in planning the Budget and Hong Kong civil servants were perfectly capable of planning it on their own. HKU's first-year law student Janine Cheung Yuk-yin outshone the other seven debaters and grabbed the Best Speaker Award. It was not the first time the HKU speaker was praised for her witty eloquence. She was crowned best speaker during her debut appearance with the HKU team in November. 'Good preparation and complete confidence is most significant in debate. You must know the arguments of both sides really well and react swiftly. 'Experience also plays a part - I did not feel at all edgy during the match,' said the veteran, who started debating in Form Two.