The Regent Debates are made possible thanks to the philanthropic support of Aaron Regent. The Series’ goal is to create a marquee platform for serious discussion on policy issues that are essential to Canada's future.

Each debate features a panel of pre-eminent policy thought leaders and decision makers debating on either affirmative or negative sides of a selected proposition that falls within the scope of the debate series. Each debate is judged by a select group of judges comprised of policy thought leaders and decision makers, whose votes are compared to that of the audience’s both before and after the debate.

The inaugural Regent Debate was held on April 11th, 2018 at the C.D. Howe Institute, where debaters sparred on the following proposition: Should Western democracies, such as Canada, establish a universal basic income to help their citizens cope with the disruptive effects of new technologies and artificial intelligence?

Aaron Regent is one of the greatest champions and guiding forces behind the success of the Canadian mining and materials industry. He is the Founder, Chair and Chief Executive Officer of Magris Performance Materials Inc., a leading North American based industrial minerals company. He is also currently the Chair of the Board at Scotiabank and a Board member of Nutrien. Previously, Aaron has served as President and CEO of Barrick Gold Corporation, Senior Managing Partner at Brookfield Asset Management, and President and CEO of Falconbridge Limited.

In addition to his many professional accomplishments, Aaron is a long time Director and supporter of the C.D. Howe Institute. The Institute is extremely grateful to Aaron, whose generosity has made this special series possible.