Scott Simms
| Scott Simms MP |
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| Member of the Canadian Parliament for Bonavista—Gander—Grand Falls—Windsor |
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| Assumed office June 28, 2004 |
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| Preceded by | Rex Barnes |
| Personal details | |
| Born | August 12, 1969 Bishop's Falls, Newfoundland and Labrador |
| Political party | Liberal |
| Residence | Bishop's Falls |
| Profession | Journalist |
Scott Simms, MP, (born August 12, 1969 in Bishop's Falls, N.L.[1]) is a Canadian politician. He is the Liberal Member of Parliament for the Newfoundland and Labrador riding of Bonavista—Gander—Grand Falls—Windsor.
Early life[edit]
Scott Simms was born August 12, 1969 in Bishop's Falls, Newfoundland and Labrador.[1]
In 1990, while a student at Mount Allison University, Simms got his first taste of politics and campaigning when he acted as the official agent and campaign manager for Brian Gold the Rhinoceros candidate in a federal byelection in the Beausejour riding. Simms graduated from Mount Allison University with a Bachelor in Commerce and Loyalist College in Journalism. Before entering elected politics, Simms worked for The Weather Network, prior to which he had worked as a radio reporter in Gander and Grand Falls-Windsor. He was an active campaigner for the "No" side in the 1995 Quebec referendum.[2]
Politics[edit]
He was elected in the 2004 election and beat out four other candidates, including Conservative incumbent Rex Barnes.[3] Simms was re-elected on Jan. 23, 2006, beating Conservative candidate Aaron Hynes by approximately 5,000 votes.[2] On May 2, 2011, Simms was again re-elected, defeating Conservative candidate Aaron Hynes by approximately 9,200 votes, with a total of 17,895 votes in his riding.
He is a member of the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage and the Standing Committee on Fisheries and Oceans. Since January 18, 2006, he has been the critic for the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans. He was the critic for the Minister for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency from February 23, 2006 until January 17, 2007.[1]
Scott Simms is also now known by a number of people who live on the west coast of Ireland following the epic voyage of one of his election posters across the Atlantic Ocean to Keem Bay in the village of Dooagh on Achill Island, County Mayo. The story was published by a local news paper called The Mayo News after a lifeguard at the beach, Conal Dixon, found the poster washed up on the sand.[4]
In 2012, Simms was the only Liberal to join the Conservatives in voting to repeal controversial section 13 of the Canadian Human Rights Act, which allows the Canadian Human Rights Commission to punish people who communicate by phone or Internet any material "that is likely to expose a person or persons to hatred or contempt."[5]
In 2013, Simms was courted by the supporters in the Liberal Party of Newfoundland and Labrador to run for the provincial leadership in the 2013 leadership election, but ultimately declined to focus on federal politics.[6]
Election Results[edit]
| Canadian federal election, 2015 | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ∆% | Expenditures | |||
| Liberal | Scott Simms | 26,576 | 74.8 | – | – | |||
| Conservative | Kevin George O'Brien | 6,503 | 18.3 | – | – | |||
| New Democratic | Claudette Menchenton | 2,184 | 6.1 | – | – | |||
| Green | Elizabeth Perry | 271 | 0.8 | – | – | |||
| Total valid votes/Expense limit | – | 100.0 | $237,840.36 | |||||
| Total rejected ballots | – | – | – | |||||
| Turnout | – | – | – | |||||
| Eligible voters | 63,621 | |||||||
| Source: Elections Canada,[7][8] CBC,[9] National Post[10] | ||||||||
| Canadian federal election, 2011 | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ∆% | Expenditures | |||
| Liberal | Scott Simms | 17,977 | 57.70 | -12.57 | ||||
| Conservative | Aaron Hynes | 8,595 | 27.59 | +12.36 | ||||
| New Democratic | Clyde Bridger | 4,306 | 13.82 | +1.31 | ||||
| Green | Robyn Kenny | 279 | 0.90 | -1.08 | ||||
| Total valid votes/Expense limit | 31,157 | 100.00 | ||||||
| Total rejected ballots | 151 | 0.48 | -0.02 | |||||
| Turnout | 31,308 | 36.24 | -4.91 | |||||
| Eligible voters | 86,394 | – | – | |||||
| Canadian federal election, 2008 | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ∆% | Expenditures | |||
| Liberal | Scott Simms | 20,089 | 70.27 | +18.3 | $23,605 | |||
| Conservative | Andrew House | 4,354 | 15.23 | -25.1 | $32,723 | |||
| New Democratic | Jason Holley | 3,577 | 12.51 | +5.5 | ||||
| Green | Robert O'Connor | 568 | 1.98 | +1.3 | ||||
| Total valid votes/Expense limit | 28,588 | 100.00 | $92,537 | |||||
| Total rejected ballots | 145 | 0.50 | 0.00 | |||||
| Turnout | 28,733 | 41.15 | ||||||
| Liberal hold | Swing | +21.7 | ||||||
| Canadian federal election, 2006 | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ∆% | Expenditures | |||
| Liberal | Scott Simms | 19,866 | 52.0 | +3.8 | $43,240 | |||
| Conservative | Aaron Hynes | 15,376 | 40.3 | -1.3 | $75,703 | |||
| New Democratic | Sandra Cooze | 2,668 | 7.0 | -1.1 | $10 | |||
| Green | Judy Davis | 265 | 0.7 | -0.4 | $0 | |||
| Total valid votes/Expense limit | 38,175 | 100.0 | $86,380 | |||||
| Total rejected ballots | 190 | 0.50 | -0.03 | |||||
| Turnout | 38,365 | – | ||||||
| Canadian federal election, 2004 | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ∆% | Expenditures | |||
| Liberal | Scott Simms | 15,970 | -% | - | – | |||
| Conservative | Rex Barnes | 13,786 | -% | - | – | |||
| New Democratic | Samuel Robert McLean | 2,667 | -% | - | – | |||
| Green | Ed Sailor White | 367 | -% | - | – | |||
| Independent | John Lannon | 344 | -% | - | – | |||
| Total valid votes | – | 100.0% | – | |||||
Source: Elections Canada
References[edit]
- ^ a b c "SIMMS, Scott, B.Comm.". Library of Parliament. Retrieved 29 August 2015.
- ^ a b "CBC — Canada Votes 2006 - Candidates and Ridings". Archived from the original on August 8, 2007. Retrieved September 16, 2007.
- ^ "CBC — Canada Votes 2004". Archived from the original on July 12, 2004. Retrieved July 12, 2004.
- ^ Canadian poster in Achill! The Mayo News, October 2, 2007
- ^ http://fullcomment.nationalpost.com/2012/06/07/jonathan-kay-good-riddance-to-section-13-of-the-canadian-human-rights-act/
- ^ Higgins, Kevin (8 February 2013). "The Telegram>News>Local Simms says he will not be seeking the leadership of the province's Liberal Party". The St. John's Telegram. Retrieved 29 August 2015.
- ^ Elections Canada – Confirmed candidates for Coast of Bays—Central—Notre Dame, 30 September 2015
- ^ Elections Canada – Preliminary Election Expenses Limits for Candidates
- ^ [1]
- ^ http://news.nationalpost.com/news/canada/canadian-politics/canadian-election-results-2015-a-live-riding-by-riding-breakdown-of-the-vote
