While Quebec’s cultural community has been calling for a reform of artist status laws for several years, a bill to this effect was tabled in the National Assembly on Wednesday by the Minister of Culture and Communications, Nathalie Roy . .
However, the Legault government that has waited until the very end of its mandate to honor its promise to propose a long-awaited update of laws governing the professional status of artists, has only a few weeks left to pass this Bill 35 before the adjournment of parliamentary proceedings on June 10.
This law needs to be studied by the Committee on Culture and Education, which has already been passed by Bill 9 to the Student Ombudsman, whose process is very advanced, and Bill 32, which he has just filed, and discusses academically. freedom. His studies have not yet begun.
Bill 35 could then be studied by another parliamentary committee to expedite its study.
A promise in 2018 yet
Nathalie Roy will take four years to develop her legislative document that will update the two artist status laws enacted in 1987 and 1988, which are considered obsolete and full of holes by cultural circles. .
However, this latter initiative constitutes his last chance to intervene in this file, at least in the current mandate, which will end in October.
The update to the laws governing the professional status of artists, a request from the cultural community that began ten years ago, is a promise in the 2018 Coalition avenir Québec (CAQ) elections.
The goal is to give artists the minimum working conditions in their workplaces, based on the agreements agreed upon in all contracts entered into.
Therefore, the bill seeks to plug some existing violations of laws in the 1980s, governing a sector that has changed significantly since then. The 1987 law targeted conditions for performing, recording, and film artists, while the 1988 law expanded the scope of the law to artists in visual arts, crafts, and literature.
This will better protect artists against any form of psychological or sexual harassment and any display of intimidation in the performance of their roles.
The bill filed on Wednesday follows a consultation held in two stages, in the winter of 2020, then in the winter of 2021. In addition, approximately fifty briefs were sent to the minister.
Initially, two former Culture Ministers, Liza Frulla and Louise Beaudoin, were supposed to join the consultation and revision process of these laws, but they had to withdraw, as they were no longer available due to calendar doubts.
Source: Radio-Canada