Scott Simms

Scott Simms was born on August 12, 1969, in Bishop's Falls, Newfoundland.

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 Bryan 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.

Simms was elected in the 2004 election and defeated four other candidates, including Conservative incumbent Rex Barnes.{{cite web | title=CBC — Canada Votes 2004 | url=http://www.cbc.ca/canadavotes/riding/002/ | access-date= July 12, 2004 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20040712081814/http://www.cbc.ca/canadavotes/riding/002/ |archive-date = July 12, 2004}} Simms was re-elected on Jan. 23, 2006, beating Conservative candidate Aaron Hynes by approximately 5,000 votes.{{cite news | title=CBC — Canada Votes 2006 - Candidates and Ridings | url=http://www.cbc.ca/canadavotes/riding/002/ | access-date= September 16, 2007 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070808081728/http://www.cbc.ca/canadavotes/riding/002/ |archive-date = August 8, 2007}} Simms was re-elected in the 2008 federal election.

He was 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.{{cite web | url=http://www.parl.gc.ca/parlinfo/Files/Parliamentarian.aspx?Item=d282a075-d49f-40b7-ab6d-64455eb9a5a8&Language=E&Section=ALL | title=SIMMS, Scott, B.Comm. | publisher=Library of Parliament | access-date=29 August 2015}}

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.[http://www.mayonews.ie/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2516&Itemid=38 Canadian poster in Achill!] The Mayo News, October 2, 2007

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.{{cite news|url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/innu-leader-delivers-conservatives-from-n-l-shutout-1.976524|title=Innu leader delivers Conservatives from N.L. shutout|publisher=Canadian Broadcasting Corporation|date=2011-05-02|access-date=2018-05-25}}

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."{{cite web |url=http://fullcomment.nationalpost.com/2012/06/07/jonathan-kay-good-riddance-to-section-13-of-the-canadian-human-rights-act/ |title=Jonathan Kay: Good riddance to Section 13 of the Canadian Human Rights Act | Full Comment | National Post |access-date=2013-12-19 |url-status=dead |archive-url=http://webarchive.loc.gov/all/20130105111536/http://fullcomment.nationalpost.com/2012/06/07/jonathan-kay-good-riddance-to-section-13-of-the-canadian-human-rights-act/ |archive-date=2013-01-05 }}

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.{{cite web | url=http://www.thetelegram.com/News/Local/2013-02-08/article-3173650/Simms-says-he-will-not-be-seeking-the-leadership-of-the-provinces-Liberal-Party/1 | title=The Telegram>News>Local Simms says he will not be seeking the leadership of the province's Liberal Party | publisher=The St. John's Telegram | date=8 February 2013 | access-date=29 August 2015 | author=Higgins, Kevin}} Simms was re-elected in the 2015 federal election.{{cite web|url=http://www.thenorwester.ca/news/local/scott-simms-victorious-in-new-riding-113922/|title=Scott Simms victorious in new riding|work=The Norwester|date=22 October 2015|access-date=10 June 2018}}{{cite web|url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/scott-simms-reelected-1.3278683|title=Scott Simms keeps seat in Coast of Bays-Central-Notre Dame|publisher=CBC News|date=October 20, 2015|accessdate=2015-11-11}}{{cite web |url=http://www.thetelegram.com/News/Election-2015/2015-10-19/article-4314774/No-more-politicking-for-Kevin-O%26rsquo%3BBrien/1 |title=No more politicking for Kevin O'Brien |work=The Telegram |location=St. John's |date=October 19, 2015 |accessdate=2015-11-11 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304072858/http://www.thetelegram.com/News/Election-2015/2015-10-19/article-4314774/No-more-politicking-for-Kevin-O%26rsquo%3BBrien/1 |archive-date=4 March 2016 |url-status=dead}}

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.{{cite web|url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/scott-simms-removed-from-fisheries-chair-1.4627724|title=N.L. MP Scott Simms removed as fisheries chair after breaking with Liberal party line|publisher=CBC News|date=19 April 2018|access-date=10 June 2018}}

Simms was re-elected in the 2019 federal election. Simms served as the Chair of the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage.

Simms was defeated in the 2021 federal election losing to conservative candidate Clifford Small.Darrell Roberts, [https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/coast-of-bays-central-notre-dame-final-result-sept-24-1.6188881 "Conservative Clifford Small wins Coast of Bays-Central-Notre Dame"]. CBC News Newfoundland and Labrador, September 25, 2021.{{cite web|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/st-johns-east-results-2021-1.6183143 | title=Liberals flip St. John's East, trail in Coast of Bays-Central-Notre Dame|work=CBC News|date=21 September 2021|access-date=21 September 2021}}

{{2021 Canadian federal election/Coast of Bays—Central—Notre Dame}}

{{2019 Canadian federal election/Coast of Bays—Central—Notre Dame}}

{{2015 Canadian federal election/Coast of Bays—Central—Notre Dame}}

{{Canadian election result/top|CA|2011|Bonavista—Gander—Grand Falls—Windsor|percent=yes|change=yes|expenditures=yes}}

{{CANelec|CA|Liberal|Scott Simms|17,977 |57.70|-12.57| }}

{{CANelec|CA|Conservative|Aaron Hynes|8,595 |27.59|+12.36| }}

{{CANelec|CA|NDP|Clyde Bridger |4,306|13.82|+1.31| }}

{{CANelec|CA|Green|Robyn Kenny |279|0.90|-1.08| }}

{{Canadian election result/total|Total valid votes/Expense limit| 31,157|100.00| }}

{{Canadian election result/total|Total rejected ballots| 151| 0.48|-0.02 | }}

{{Canadian election result/total|Turnout|31,308 | 36.24|-4.91 | }}

{{Canadian election result/total|Eligible voters| 86,394 |–|–| }}

{{end}}

{{Canadian election result/top|CA|2008|Bonavista—Gander—Grand Falls—Windsor|percent=yes|change=yes|expenditures=yes}}

{{CANelec|CA|Liberal|Scott Simms| 20,089| 70.27|+18.3| $23,605}}

{{CANelec|CA|Conservative|Andrew House| 4,354| 15.23|-25.1|$32,723 }}

{{CANelec|CA|NDP|Jason Holley | 3,577| 12.51|+5.5| }}

{{CANelec|CA|Green|Robert O'Connor| 568| 1.98|+1.3| }}

{{Canadian election result/total|Total valid votes/Expense limit|28,588|100.00 | $92,537}}

{{Canadian election result/total|Total rejected ballots| 145|0.50|0.00 }}

{{Canadian election result/total|Turnout| 28,733| 41.15}}

|- bgcolor="white"

{{Canadian party colour|CA|Liberal|row}}

|align="left" colspan=2|Liberal hold

|align="right"|Swing

|align="right"| +21.7

|align="right"|

{{end}}

{{Canadian election result/top|CA|2006|Bonavista—Gander—Grand Falls—Windsor|percent=yes|change=yes|expenditures=yes}}

{{CANelec|CA|Liberal|Scott Simms|19,866| 52.0|+3.8 | $43,240}}

{{CANelec|CA|Conservative|Aaron Hynes|15,376|40.3|-1.3 |$75,703 }}

{{CANelec|CA|NDP|Sandra Cooze|2,668| 7.0| -1.1| $10}}

{{CANelec|CA|Green|Judy Davis |265| 0.7| -0.4| $0}}

{{Canadian election result/total|Total valid votes/Expense limit| 38,175| 100.0|$86,380 }}

{{Canadian election result/total|Total rejected ballots|190|0.50 |-0.03 }}

{{Canadian election result/total|Turnout|38,365|–| }}

{{End}}

{{CANelec/top|CA|2004|Bonavista—Exploits|percent=yes|change=yes|expenditures=yes}}

{{CANelec|CA|Liberal|Scott Simms| 15,970| 48.20|-7.12|$45,455.39 }}

{{CANelec|CA|Conservative|Rex Barnes |13,786 | 41.61|+7.11|$78,934.75 }}

{{CANelec|CA|NDP|Samuel Robert McLean | 2,667| 8.05|-2.14|$1,870.00 }}

{{CANelec|CA|Green|Ed Sailor White | 367| 1.11|–| $275.00}}

{{CANelec|CA|Independent|John Lannon |344 | 1.04|–|none listed}}

{{CANelec/total|Total valid votes/Expense limit|33,134|100.0 |– | $84,760 }}

{{CANelec/total|Total rejected, declined and unmarked ballots|178|0.53}}

{{CANelec/total|Turnout|33,312|46.30|-6.67 }}

{{CANelec/total|Eligible voters|71,944}}

{{CANelec/nothold|CA|Liberal|-7.12}}

{{CANelec/note|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.}}

{{End}}

{{Reflist}}

• {{Official website|http://www.scottsimms.com/}}
• {{Canadian Parliament links|ID=6670}}

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Category:Living people

Category:Members of the House of Commons of Canada from Newfoundland and Labrador

Category:Liberal Party of Canada MPs

Category:Canadian television weather presenters

Category:People from Bishop's Falls

Category:1969 births

Category:Mount Allison University alumni

Category:Pelmorex people

Category:21st-century members of the House of Commons of Canada