The House of Representatives needed to tackle a bill that would recognize the vital role artists and the arts play in all aspects of Canadian life.

“It will be the basis for developing the policies needed for art, museums and performance halls, art galleries, workshops, publishing houses and more,” said Manitoba Senator Patricia Bovey during a closing debate last year that presented the bill in the Senate.

The House of Lords passed the law in October.

It was intended to be the platform for “reviews, updates and much-needed policy adjustments for the creative sector in this country, which is the third largest employer in our country, but whose creators represent the largest percentage of workers living below the poverty line,” had M argued^Me bovey

The bill was due to be sponsored in the House of Commons by Liberal MP Jim Carr.

However, Mr Carr died last December and no MP was found to take his place in supporting the bill before it was placed on the House agenda on Monday morning.

Speaker Anthony Rota had to pause for an hour before MPs were ready to move on to the next item on the agenda.

A spokesman for Government House Speaker Mark Holland said it was up to MPs to appear themselves to sponsor a private member’s bill. The government has no role in determining who sponsors it, Holland said.

More than 600 people attended the deliberations of M^Me Bovey before his bill went into the Senate.

The soon to be 75-year-old senator is expected to leave the Senate on May 15.