Scott Simms
Scott Simms | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Member of Parliament for Coast of Bays—Central—Notre Dame Bonavista—Gander—Grand Falls—Windsor (2004-2015) | |
| Assumed office June 28, 2004 | |
| Preceded by | Rex Barnes |
| Chairman of the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage | |
| Assumed office February 19, 2020 | |
| Preceded by | Julie Dabrusin |
| Chairman of the Standing Committee on Fisheries and Oceans | |
| In office February 16, 2016 – April 19, 2018 | |
| Preceded by | Rodney Weston |
| Succeeded by | Bernadette Jordan |
| Personal details | |
| Born | August 12, 1969 Bishop's Falls, Newfoundland |
| Political party | Liberal |
| Residence | Norris Arm, Newfoundland and Labrador |
| Profession | Journalist |
Scott Simms MP (born 1969) is a Canadian politician. He is the Liberal Member of Parliament for the Newfoundland and Labrador riding of Coast of Bays—Central—Notre Dame.
Early life
Scott Simms was born on August 12, 1969, in Bishop's Falls, Newfoundland.[1]
In 1990, while a student at Mount Allison University, Simms started in politics and campaigning when he acted as the official agent and campaign manager for Brian Gold the Rhinoceros Party candidate in a federal byelection in the Beauséjour 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
He was elected in the 2004 election and defeated 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 Hynes in a re-match 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 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 Section 13 of the Canadian Human Rights Act, which dealt with communication of messages "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] Simms was re-elected in the 2015 federal election.[7]
In April 2018, Simms was removed as Chairman of the Standing Committee on Fisheries and Oceans as a result of voting in favour of a Conservative party motion opposing changes to the Canada Summer Jobs program.[8]
He was re-elected in the 2019 federal election.
Simms now serves as the Chair of the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage.
Election results
| 2019 Canadian federal election: Coast of Bays—Central—Notre Dame | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | Expenditures | |||
| Liberal | Scott Simms | 16,514 | 48.3 | -26.52 | ||||
| Conservative | Alex Bracci | 12,081 | 35.3 | +17.02 | ||||
| New Democratic | Noel Joe | 4,224 | 12.4 | +6.26 | ||||
| Green | Byron White | 1,363 | 4.0 | +3.24 | ||||
| Total valid votes/Expense limit | 34,182 | 100.0 | ||||||
| Total rejected ballots | 770 | |||||||
| Turnout | 34,952 | 55.6 | ||||||
| Eligible voters | 62,880 | |||||||
| Source: Elections Canada[9][10] | ||||||||
| 2015 Canadian federal election: Coast of Bays—Central—Notre Dame | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | Expenditures | |||
| Liberal | Scott Simms | 26,523 | 74.82 | +19.90 | – | |||
| Conservative | Kevin George O'Brien | 6,479 | 18.28 | –12.03 | – | |||
| New Democratic | Claudette Menchenton | 2,175 | 6.14 | –7.48 | – | |||
| Green | Elizabeth Perry | 271 | 0.76 | –0.12 | – | |||
| Total valid votes/Expense limit | 35,448 | 100.0 | $237,840.36 | |||||
| Total rejected ballots | 145 | 0.41 | – | |||||
| Turnout | 35,593 | 55.71 | – | |||||
| Eligible voters | 63,891 | |||||||
| Liberal notional hold | Swing | +15.96 | ||||||
| Source: Elections Canada[11][12] | ||||||||
| 2011 Canadian federal election: Bonavista—Gander—Grand Falls—Windsor | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | – | – | |||||
| 2008 Canadian federal election: Bonavista—Gander—Grand Falls—Windsor | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | ||||||
| 2006 Canadian federal election: Bonavista—Gander—Grand Falls—Windsor | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | – | ||||||
| 2004 Canadian federal election: Bonavista—Exploits | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | Expenditures | |||
| Liberal | Scott Simms | 15,970 | 48.20 | -7.12 | $45,455.39 | |||
| Conservative | Rex Barnes | 13,786 | 41.61 | +7.11 | $78,934.75 | |||
| New Democratic | Samuel Robert McLean | 2,667 | 8.05 | -2.14 | $1,870.00 | |||
| Green | Ed Sailor White | 367 | 1.11 | – | $275.00 | |||
| Independent | John Lannon | 344 | 1.04 | – | none listed | |||
| Total valid votes/Expense limit | 33,134 | 100.0 | – | $84,760 | ||||
| Total rejected, declined and unmarked ballots | 178 | 0.53 | ||||||
| Turnout | 33,312 | 46.30 | -6.67 | |||||
| Eligible voters | 71,944 | |||||||
| Liberal notional hold | Swing | -7.12 | ||||||
| Changes from 2000 are based on redistributed results. Change for the Conservatives is based on the combined totals from the Progressive Conservatives and the Canadian Alliance. | ||||||||
References
- ^ a b "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
- ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2013-01-05. Retrieved 2013-12-19.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ 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.
- ^ "Scott Simms victorious in new riding". The Norwester. 22 October 2015. Retrieved 10 June 2018.
- ^ "N.L. MP Scott Simms removed as fisheries chair after breaking with Liberal party line". CBC News. 19 April 2018. Retrieved 10 June 2018.
- ^ "List of confirmed candidates". Elections Canada. Retrieved October 3, 2019.
- ^ "Election Night Results". Elections Canada. Retrieved November 6, 2019.
- ^ "October 19, 2015 Election Results — Coast of Bays—Central—Notre Dame (Validated results)". Elections Canada. 23 October 2015. Retrieved 24 October 2015.
- ^ Elections Canada – Preliminary Election Expenses Limits for Candidates