Scott Simms (born August 12, 1969) 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. He was the Liberal

Member of Parliament A member of parliament (MP) is the representative in parliament of the people who live in their electoral district. In many countries with Bicameralism, bicameral parliaments, this term refers only to members of the lower house since upper house ...

for the

Newfoundland and Labrador Newfoundland and Labrador (; french: Terre-Neuve-et-Labrador; frequently abbreviated as NL) is the easternmost province of Canada, in the country's Atlantic region. The province comprises the island of Newfoundland and the continental region ...

riding of Coast of Bays—Central—Notre Dame from 2004 until 2021.

Early life

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

Newfoundland Newfoundland and Labrador (; french: Terre-Neuve-et-Labrador; frequently abbreviated as NL) is the easternmost province of Canada, in the country's Atlantic region. The province comprises the island of Newfoundland and the continental region ...

. In 1990, while a student at

Mount Allison University Mount Allison University (also Mount A or MtA) is a Canadian primarily undergraduate liberal arts university located in Sackville, New Brunswick, founded in 1839. Like other liberal arts colleges in North America, Mount Allison does not par ...

, 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

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.

Politics

Simms was elected in the 2004 election and defeated four other candidates, including

Conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization in ...

incumbent Rex Barnes. Simms was re-elected on Jan. 23, 2006, beating Conservative candidate Aaron Hynes by approximately 5,000 votes. 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 The minister of fisheries, oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard () is the minister of the Crown in the Canadian Cabinet responsible for supervising the fishing industry, administrating all navigable waterways in the country, and overseeing the o ...

. He was the critic for the

Minister for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency The Minister for the purposes of the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency Act, more commonly the Minister for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency or Minister of the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (), is the member of the Cabinet of C ...

from February 23, 2006 until January 17, 2007. 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 Achill Island (; ga, Acaill, Oileán Acla) in County Mayo is the largest of the Irish isles, and is situated off the west coast of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It has a population of 2,594. Its area is . Achill is attached to the mainland by ...

County Mayo County Mayo (; ga, Contae Mhaigh Eo, meaning "Plain of the yew trees") is a county in Ireland. In the West of Ireland, in the province of Connacht, it is named after the village of Mayo, now generally known as Mayo Abbey. Mayo County Coun ...

. 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. 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. 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." In 2013, Simms was courted by the supporters in the

Liberal Party of Newfoundland and Labrador The Liberal Party of Newfoundland and Labrador is a political party in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. The party is the provincial branch, and affiliate of the federal Liberal Party of Canada. It has served as the Government o ...

to run for the provincial leadership in the 2013 leadership election, but ultimately declined to focus on federal politics. Simms was re-elected in the 2015 federal election. 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. 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.

Electoral Record

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References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Simms, Scott Living people Members of the House of Commons of Canada from Newfoundland and Labrador Liberal Party of Canada MPs Canadian television meteorologists People from Bishop's Falls 1969 births Mount Allison University alumni Pelmorex people 21st-century Canadian politicians