Jinny Sims

Jinny Sims
Minister for Citizens' Services of British Columbia
In office
July 18, 2017 – October 4, 2019
PremierJohn Horgan
Preceded byJas Johal (As Minister of Technology, Innovation and Citizens' Services)
Succeeded bySelina Robinson
Critic for Employment
In office
August 13, 2013 – November 19, 2015
LeaderThomas Mulcair
Preceded byChris Charlton
Succeeded byKaren Vecchio
Critic for Immigration
In office
April 19, 2012 – August 13, 2013
LeaderThomas Mulcair
Preceded byDon Davies
Succeeded byLysane Blanchette-Lamothe
Critic for International Cooperation
In office
October 3, 2011 – April 18, 2012
LeaderNycole Turmel
Preceded byHélène Laverdière
Succeeded byRomeo Saganash
Member of the British Columbia Legislative Assembly
for Surrey-Panorama
In office
May 9, 2017 – September 21, 2024
Preceded byMarvin Hunt
Succeeded byBryan Tepper
Member of Parliament
for Newton—North Delta
In office
May 30, 2011 – August 4, 2015
Preceded bySukh Dhaliwal
Succeeded bySukh Dhaliwal
(Surrey—Newton)
Personal details
Born (1952-06-07) June 7, 1952 (age 72)
Jalandhar, Punjab, India
Political partyNew Democratic Party
Surrey Forward
SpouseStephen Sims
ResidenceSurrey, British Columbia
ProfessionTeacher, union leader

Jinny Jogindera Sims (born June 7, 1952) is an Indian-born Canadian politician, who was elected as a New Democratic Party Member of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia in the 2017 provincial election in Surrey-Panorama and represented the riding until 2024. She previously was elected to the House of Commons of Canada in the 2011 election.[1] She represented the electoral district of Newton—North Delta as a member of the New Democratic Party. Sims was also a candidate for Mayor of Surrey in the October 2022 civic elections. She placed fourth with 12.58% of the vote.

In the 2024 British Columbia general election, she was unseated by Bryan Tepper from the BC Conservative Party.[2]

Early life

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Born to a Sikh family, Sims emigrated to England from Punjab, India, at the age of nine. She earned a Bachelor of Education degree at the Victoria University of Manchester (now the University of Manchester). Sims and her husband moved to Canada in 1975,[3] spending two years in Quebec before moving to Nanaimo where she was a high school teacher until the early 2000s.[4]

BCTF president

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She was elected president of the BC Teachers' Federation in 2004[5] and served in that role until 2007. In her role as president of the BCTF, she was involved in the May 2005 provincial election when the BC Liberal Party, a week before the election, accused the BCTF of having a "secret plan" to strike two days after the election;[6] the organization subsequently filed a defamation lawsuit.[7] When the teachers, who had been working for over a year without a contract, did provide strike notice in September 2005, the provincial government immediately extended, by legislation, the last contract to June 2006 and made a potential strike illegal.[8] Regardless, Sims led the teachers in job action, culminating in a two-week strike. The Labour Relations Board determined the strike illegal and the BC Supreme Court found the BCTF in civil contempt of court, fined the BCTF $500,000 and ordered the BCTF to not pay the teachers a strike pay.[9][10][11] The strike ended when the membership voted to accept a $150-million mediated settlement which both the government and the BCTF executive had endorsed.[12] Sims's BCTF successfully negotiated a five-year contract in June 2006.[13]

Accusations

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In October, 2019 allegations of misconduct were made against Sims, resulting in her resignation as Minister of Citizens Services. A special prosecutor, Richard Peck, was appointed to investigate the charges. Sims was accused of writing support letters for travel visas and of telling her staff to bypass freedom of information laws by using personal email and WhatsApp rather than official email addresses. In April, 2020 the special prosecutor reported that he and the RCMP had found no evidence to support the charges against her and had cleared her of any wrongdoing.[14]

Electoral record

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Provincial elections

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2020 British Columbia general election: Surrey-Panorama
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
New Democratic Jinny Sims 12,336 55.07 +4.22 $60,769.34
Liberal Gulzar Cheema 9,607 42.89 +1.03 $65,963.02
Vision Sophie Shrestha 458 2.04 – $0.00
Total valid votes 22,401 100.00 –
Total rejected ballots 240 1.06 +0.27
Turnout 22,641 51.65 −9.39
Registered voters 43,835
New Democratic hold Swing +1.60
Source: Elections BC[15][16]
2017 British Columbia general election: Surrey-Panorama
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
New Democratic Jinny Sims 12,227 50.85 +15.11 $64,840
Liberal Puneet Sandhar 10,064 41.86 −12.43 $66,078
Green Veronica Laurel Greer 1,620 6.74 +1.06 $0
Refederation Liz Galenzoski 132 0.55 – $250
Total valid votes 24,043 100.00 –
Total rejected ballots 192 0.79 +0.14
Turnout 24,235 61.04 +3.32
Registered voters 39,701
Source: Elections BC[17][18]

Federal elections

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2015 Canadian federal election: Surrey—Newton
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
Liberal Sukh Dhaliwal 24,869 55.98 +21.90 $165,371.15
New Democratic Jinny Sims 11,602 26.12 -9.17 $123,083.62
Conservative Harpreet Singh 6,978 15.71 -11.71 $89,371.95
Green Pamela Sangha 975 2.19 -0.40 –
Total valid votes/expense limit 44,424 100.00   $199,113.86
Total rejected ballots 328 0.73 –
Turnout 44,752 69.06 –
Eligible voters 64,798
Liberal notional gain from New Democratic Swing +15.54
Source: Elections Canada[19][20]
2011 Canadian federal election: Newton—North Delta
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
New Democratic Jinny Sims 15,413 33.42 +7.29
Liberal Sukh Dhaliwal 14,510 31.46 -4.96
Conservative Mani Kaur Fallon 14,437 31.30 +0.39
Green Liz Walker 1,520 3.30 -2.30
Independent Ravi S. Gill 123 0.27 –
Communist Sam Hammond 116 0.25 -0.02
Total valid votes/expense limit 46,119 100.00 –
Total rejected ballots 294 0.63 +0.07
Turnout 46,413 62.59 +0.52
New Democratic gain from Liberal Swing +5.79

References

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  1. ^ "Election 2011: Newton—North Delta". The Globe and Mail. Archived from the original on 23 August 2011. Retrieved 2 May 2011.
  2. ^ "BC election 2024 results: Surrey-Panorama | Globalnews.ca". Global News. Retrieved 20 October 2024.
  3. ^ "About Jinny Sims". jinnysims.ndp.ca. Archived from the original on 20 January 2012.
  4. ^ Cordery, Walter (12 February 2004). "Jinny Sims seeking B.C. union's top job". Nanaimo Daily News. Nanaimo, British Columbia. p. A5.
  5. ^ "Teachers elect Jinny Sims as new president". The Province. Vancouver, British Columbia. 17 March 2004. p. A7.
  6. ^ Mason, Chris (20 May 2005). "Liberals, BCTF ready to bury ill will from election campaign". Times Colonist. Victoria, British Columbia. p. A6.
  7. ^ Bellett, Gerry (27 May 2005). "B.C. teachers take Premier to court: Campbell 'defamed' union". National Post. p. A7.
  8. ^ Bailey, Ian; Jack Keating (4 October 2005). "Teachers contract legislated: Imposed deal offers no salary increase, blocks job action". The Province. Vancouver, British Columbia. p. A3.
  9. ^ Mickleburgh, Rod (10 October 2005). "Teachers guilty of contempt, B.C. judge concludes". The Globe and Mail. p. A4.
  10. ^ Bridge, Maurice (22 October 2005). "Judge slaps $500,000 fine on teachers: Penalty for illegal strike may yet be increased". Times Colonist. Victoria, British Columbia. p. A3.
  11. ^ Mickleburgh, Rod (14 October 2005). "B.C. court orders halt to teachers' strike pay". The Globe and Mail. p. A1.
  12. ^ Shaw, Rob; Darah Hansen; Janet Steffenhagen; Jonathan Fowlie (24 October 2005). "Teachers back at work but fight far from over". Times Colonist. Victoria, British Columbia. p. A2.
  13. ^ Chung, Emily (3 July 2006). "Pressure from public hastened teachers' deal". The Vancouver Sun. Vancouver, British Columbia. p. A3.
  14. ^ Zussman, Richard (3 April 2020). "Former B.C. cabinet minister Jinny Sims cleared of all criminal wrongdoing". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 15 November 2020.
  15. ^ "Statement of Votes — 42nd Provincial General Election" (PDF). Elections BC. Retrieved 30 August 2021.
  16. ^ "Election Financing Reports". Elections BC. Retrieved 19 February 2021.
  17. ^ "2017 Provincial General Election - Statement of Votes" (PDF). Elections BC. Retrieved 5 December 2020.
  18. ^ "Election Financing Reports". Elections BC. Retrieved 13 September 2020.
  19. ^ Elections Canada – Confirmed candidates for Surrey—Newton, 30 September 2015
  20. ^ Elections Canada – Preliminary Election Expenses Limits for Candidates
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Jinny Sims.
British Columbia provincial government of John Horgan
Cabinet post (1)
Predecessor Office Successor
Jas Johal Minister of Citizens' Services
July 18, 2017 – October 4, 2019 		Selina Robinson
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