Robert Simms (politician)

Robert Andrew Simms (born 26 March 1984) is an Australian politician and an Area Councillor for the City of Adelaide.

Robert Simms
Area Councillor for the City of Adelaide
Assumed office
22 November 2018
In office
2014 – 9 September 2015
Senator for South Australia
In office
22 September 2015 – 2 July 2016
Preceded byPenny Wright
Personal details
Born (1984-03-26) 26 March 1984
Yorkshire, England, UK
Political partyAustralian Greens
ResidenceAdelaide
EducationFlinders University
OccupationJournalist, political advisor
ProfessionBarrister
Websitewww.cityofadelaide.com.au/your-council/role-of-council/councillors/robert-simms/

Initially elected as an Adelaide councillor in 2014, he resigned on 8 September 2015[1] to fill the vacancy caused by Penny Wright's resignation from the Senate.[2] He was elected again to the City of Adelaide in 2018.[3]

He has worked in the community sector as a policy advocate, served on the boards of a number of community organisations including the Youth Affairs Council and AIDS Council of South Australia,[4] and worked briefly as a radio journalist. He is also a freelance writer and resides in Adelaide.[5]

He holds a Bachelor of Laws and Legal Practice (Honours), a Bachelor of Arts (majoring in politics and sociology) and a Graduate Certificate in Journalism.[5] In 2008 he was admitted to the Supreme Court of South Australia as a Barrister and Solicitor.[6] As of 2015 Simms was partway through a PhD in political philosophy at Flinders University where he has also taught in the politics department.[5]

Senate career

Simms was a Greens member of the Senate, representing the state of South Australia, from 22 September 2015 until his defeat at the 2016 election. Until the appointment of James Paterson to the Senate in March 2016, he was the youngest serving senator and the second-youngest sitting MP (after Wyatt Roy).

Previously, he stood as a candidate for the Greens in Enfield at the 2010 state election, and Adelaide in the 2014 state election. In 2015 he was a co-convenor of the SA Greens. He was the Greens' candidate for Adelaide again at the 2018 state election, and received 12.6% of the first preference votes (third of four candidates).[7]

As a senator, Simms was the Greens parliamentary spokesperson on higher education, LGBT rights and marriage equality—portfolios previously held by Senators Lee Rhiannon and Janet Rice.[8]

Simms was one of five openly-LGBTI members in the Parliament of Australia and supports marriage equality in Australia.[9]

References
  1. "Resignation from Adelaide City Council". Self-published. Archived from the original on 10 September 2015. Retrieved 14 September 2015.
  2. "New Greens SA senator confirmed". AAP. 22 September 2015. Retrieved 22 September 2015.
  3. "Councillors". City of Adelaide. Retrieved 4 February 2019.
  4. "Robert Simms - Adelaide City Council". City of Adelaide. Retrieved 5 September 2015.
  5. "Robert Simms - About". Self-published. Archived from the original on 25 September 2015. Retrieved 5 September 2015.
  6. "About Robert Simms". Australian Greens. Retrieved 22 September 2015.
  7. "District Results for Adelaide". Electoral Commission of South Australia. Retrieved 27 March 2018.
  8. "Greens reshuffle while all eyes on PM". Sky News. 15 September 2015. Retrieved 24 September 2015.
  9. Ireland, Judith (13 October 2015). "New senator Robert Simms talks of struggle to come out". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 20 November 2015.
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