S-202 – An Act to amend the Parliament of Canada Act (Parliamentary Visual Artist Laureate) – would create the position of Parliamentary Visual Artist Laureate, who is an officer of the Library of Parliament.
Selection
A committee will select three candidates that are reflective of Canada’s diversity for this position. The committee will be chaired by the Parliamentary Librarian and will include the Director of the National Gallery of Canada, the Commissioner of Official Languages for Canada, the Chairperson of the Canada Council for the Arts, and the President of the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts. These candidates will be passed to the Speaker of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Commons, who will then pick which one gets the position of Parliamentary Visual Artist Laureate.
Position Details
First note on this new position is that the term for it only lasts two years, and the PVAL serves at the pleasure of the Speaker of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Commons acting together.
The mandate for the position is to promote the arts in Canada, including by fostering knowledge, enjoyment, awareness, and development of the arts.
The powers of the Parliamentary Visual Artist Laureate include:
- Producing or having produced artistic creations, at the request of either Speaker, for use by Parliament
- Sponsoring artistic events, including art exhibitions
- Providing advice to the Parliamentary Librarian regarding the Library’s collection and acquisitions that would enrich the Library’s cultural holdings
Status
S-202 passed through the Senate and on June 7, 2023 went up for its Second Reading vote in the House where it passed with 209 in favour and 114 against.
| Party | For | Against | Paired |
|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal | 149 | 0 | 1 |
| Conservative | 0 | 114 | 0 |
| Bloc Quebecois | 31 | 0 | 1 |
| NDP | 24 | 0 | 0 |
| Green Party | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Independent | 3 | 0 | 0 |
The Conservatives think that the $100,000 estimated price tag on the new position could be better spent elsewhere.
The Bloc don’t see the price being an issue, but have some small concerns about mandating the type of work the artist laureate would be allowed to produce.
The NDP feel that the position could be used to better promote indigenous art.
S-202 then came back from committee review and was accepted with 210 voting in favour and 113 voting against.
| Party | For | Against | Paired |
|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal | 152 | 0 | 1 |
| Conservative | 1 | 112 | 1 |
| Bloc Quebecois | 29 | 0 | 0 |
| NDP | 25 | 0 | 0 |
| Green | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Independent | 1 | 1 | 0 |
Very little has changed from the Second Reading vote here, though Leslyn Lewis (Conservative, Ontario, Haldimand—Norfolk) broke rank with the rest of the Conservatives and is now supporting S-202.
S-202 then passed its Third Reading vote with the same split. It is now waiting for Royal Assent.
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