Revision of the laws on the status of the artist | Clear public support for creators

Artists’ associations receive support from Quebecers regarding the ongoing overhaul of laws on the status of the artist, according to a survey obtained by The Press. In addition to supporting in a proportion of more than 80% the demands of artists regarding their working conditions, three-quarters of the population believe that the Coalition avenir Québec (CAQ) must keep its promise to reform this law before the end of his first term.

Alexandre Vigneault
The Press

“We are very touched by this great support,” said Suzanne Aubry, president of the Union of Quebec Writers and Writers (UNEQ). Luc Fortin, president of the Guild of Musicians of Quebec (GMMQ), says he is “pleasantly surprised” by the “impressive” support from Quebecers.

The Léger poll, conducted between March 11 and 14 among 1,009 Quebec residents, indicates that almost three out of four Quebecers (73%) find it unacceptable that certain artists sometimes work without a contract or without minimum working conditions being respected. Nearly two out of three people do not find it acceptable that the median annual income of artists is less than $25,000 in Quebec.

Suzanne Aubry believes that the population has been very sensitive to the injustice and the lack of a framework governing the working conditions of creators. The vast majority of Quebecers believe that artists should have negotiated minimum working conditions (84%), have the same rights and protections as other workers (83%), that producers who do not respect the minimum working conditions should not have access to public funding (84%) and that the government and public companies should ensure this (84%).

Both at the GMMQ and at the UNEQ, we believe that the pandemic may have contributed to raising awareness of the precariousness of the artistic community, which has been among the most affected by health restrictions over the past two years. Christian Bourque, of the Léger firm, also puts forward this hypothesis, but specifies that support for artists, particularly with regard to their identity role, is “always high”.

The UNEQ, the GMMQ, as well as the seven other associations bringing together more than 26,000 professionals in the performing arts, television and film artisans, authors and performers, believe that this survey will give weight to their request. “I hope this will push the government to complete the work on the Status of the Artist Act as a priority,” summarizes Luc Fortin.

Suzanne Aubry expects the law to be tabled by the end of April at the latest. “It’s true that the deadlines are very tight, she agrees. It really becomes a matter of political will. Once again, the population is behind the artists: 75% of Quebecers find that the Legault government must keep its promise to vote for this reform before the end of its first term, according to the Léger poll. The cultural community will not be satisfied with being told that the promise has been kept only because a bill has been tabled, assures the president of the UNEQ. “You have to adopt it,” she says.

According to our information, the Minister of Culture and Communications, Nathalie Roy, will table her reform of the laws on the status of the artist by the end of the month. However, the bill is unlikely to pass by the end of the National Assembly session on June 10 – the last session before the October 3 general election.

Not only will the legislative text be tabled rather late, but the parliamentary committee on culture and education, which will be responsible for studying it, already has many irons in the fire. She must complete the – very long – study of the reform of Bill 101, she has the mandate to complete the examination of the bill on the Student Ombudsman of the Minister of Education, Jean-François Roberge, and she will hold consultations on another bill, tabled last week by Higher Education Minister Danielle McCann, on academic freedom in universities.

This is without counting the time that the committee will have to devote to the study of budgetary appropriations, an annual exercise which follows the tabling of the budget. There is a lot on the board for only seven weeks of work.

With the collaboration of Tommy Chouinard, The Press