Leonard Archibald (Len) Simms (born October 23, 1943) is a

Canadian Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...

politician from

Newfoundland and Labrador Newfoundland and Labrador (; french: Terre-Neuve-et-Labrador; frequently abbreviated as NL) is the easternmost provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada, in the country's Atlantic Canada, Atlantic region. The province comprises t ...

. He was the Progressive Conservative Member of the House of Assembly for Grand Falls-Windsor-Buchans from 1979 to 1995. From 2005 until 2014, Simms was chairman and chief executive officer of the Newfoundland and Labrador Housing Corporation, a provincial crown corporation. He served as Speaker of the House of Assembly from 1979 to 1982 when he was appointed to the provincial cabinet of Premier Brian Peckford. Simms served in the portfolios of Culture, Recreation and Youth, Forest Resources and Lands, President of Treasury Board and President of Executive Council. Simms ran for the leadership of the Progressive Conservative Party in 1989 but lost to

Tom Rideout Thomas "Tom" Gerald Rideout (born June 25, 1948) is a former Canadian politician who served as the fourth premier of Newfoundland from March 22, 1989 to May 5, 1989. Life and career Born in Fleur de Lys, Newfoundland, Rideout was first elected ...

who subsequently appointed him Development Minister in his Cabinet. The Tory government was defeated in the 1989 general election and Simms moved to the Opposition benches. He succeeded Rideout in 1991 to become Leader of the Opposition and party leader. The party lost the 1993 general election and Simms resigned as party leader two years later. He was appointed head of the Newfoundland and Labrador Housing Corporation by Premier Danny Williams in 2005. In 2007 he stepped down in order to take a senior role in Williams' 2007 re-election campaign and was immediately re-appointed to the $130,000 a year housing corporation position following the election leading to complaints of "blatant patronage" from the Opposition.Critics decry 'obscene' patronage in Simms reappointment
''CBC News'', October 19, 2007

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Simms, Len 1943 births Living people Speakers of the Newfoundland and Labrador House of Assembly Members of the Executive Council of Newfoundland and Labrador Progressive Conservative Party of Newfoundland and Labrador MHAs Newfoundland and Labrador political party leaders Leaders of the Progressive Conservative Party of Newfoundland and Labrador