Michelle Simson
Encyclopedia
Michelle Simson, MP
is a Canadian
politician, who was elected to represent the Ontario
electoral district
of Scarborough Southwest
in the 2008 Canadian federal election
. She is a member of the Liberal Party
.
Before being elected she was the vice-president and general manager of a leasing firm located in Scarborough
and was a former president of the Ontario Women's Liberal Commission.
After the election, Simson was a member of the Standing Committee on Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics
and an associate member of the Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration, Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights. She currently sits as a member of the Standing Committee on the Status of Women.
She is also the Co-chair of the National Liberal Caucus Communications Committee and Treasurer of the GTA/Ontario Liberal Caucus.
On November 6, 2009, Simson's motion M-354, which called upon the government to develop and adopt a Universal Declaration on Animal Welfare, was unanimously adopted.
Simson is also a founding member and Co-Chair of the Parliamentary Committee on palliative and Compassionate Care (PCPCC), a new non-partisan Parliamentary group aimed at promoting awareness of glaring deficiences in Canada's palliative and compassionate care framework.
Canadian House of Commons
The House of Commons of Canada is a component of the Parliament of Canada, along with the Sovereign and the Senate. The House of Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 308 members known as Members of Parliament...
is a Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
politician, who was elected to represent the Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
electoral district
Electoral district (Canada)
An electoral district in Canada, also known as a constituency or a riding, is a geographical constituency upon which Canada's representative democracy is based...
of Scarborough Southwest
Scarborough Southwest
Scarborough Southwest is a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons.On Toronto City Council, the southeast portion is represented by Gary Crawford. The northwest section is represented by Michelle Berardinetti.-Geography:It covers the...
in the 2008 Canadian federal election
Canadian federal election, 2008
The 2008 Canadian federal election was held on Tuesday, October 14, 2008 to elect members to the Canadian House of Commons of the 40th Canadian Parliament after the previous parliament had been dissolved by the Governor General on September 7, 2008...
. She is a member of the Liberal Party
Liberal Party of Canada
The Liberal Party of Canada , colloquially known as the Grits, is the oldest federally registered party in Canada. In the conventional political spectrum, the party sits between the centre and the centre-left. Historically the Liberal Party has positioned itself to the left of the Conservative...
.
Before being elected she was the vice-president and general manager of a leasing firm located in Scarborough
Scarborough, Ontario
Scarborough is a dissolved municipality within the city of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Geographically, it comprises the eastern part of Toronto. It is bordered on the south by Lake Ontario, on the west by Victoria Park Avenue, on the north by Steeles Avenue East, and on the east by the Rouge River...
and was a former president of the Ontario Women's Liberal Commission.
After the election, Simson was a member of the Standing Committee on Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics
Canadian House of Commons Standing Committee on Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics
The Canadian House of Commons Standing Committee on Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics is a permanent standing committee of the Canadian House of Commons that reports to the Parliament of Canada on issues related to ethics and the Access to Information Act. The committee may be referred to...
and an associate member of the Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration, Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights. She currently sits as a member of the Standing Committee on the Status of Women.
She is also the Co-chair of the National Liberal Caucus Communications Committee and Treasurer of the GTA/Ontario Liberal Caucus.
Political career (2008-present)
On July 7, 2009, Simson made history by becoming the first federal politician in Canada to publicize her claimed expenses for the fiscal year on her website, saying:"I have been a taxpayer a lot longer than I ever have been an MP, and as a taxpayer this was a real bone of contention. ... It was all about accountability. I may not succeed, but in my little piece of the world, my constituents can go on my website and will be able to see how the money is spent. It's their money. That's the bottom line."
On November 6, 2009, Simson's motion M-354, which called upon the government to develop and adopt a Universal Declaration on Animal Welfare, was unanimously adopted.
"This declaration is an agreement among people and nations to recognize that animals are sentient, suffer, have welfare needs, and to ultimately end animal cruelty worldwide. Thousands of Canadians have signed petitions in support of a UDAW and this declaration is actively supported by Canada's foremost animal protection organizations."
Simson is also a founding member and Co-Chair of the Parliamentary Committee on palliative and Compassionate Care (PCPCC), a new non-partisan Parliamentary group aimed at promoting awareness of glaring deficiences in Canada's palliative and compassionate care framework.