Background
He was born in Sydney, and attended Sydney Boys High School from 1976–1981.
He was born in Sydney, and attended Sydney Boys High School from 1976–1981.
In tertiary education, Simpkins has a Bachelor of Arts from the University of New South Wales and a Graduate Certificate in Security Management from Edith Cowan University. His army service included a stint as a cadet at the Royal Military College, Duntroon from 1988 to 1989, and as an officer in the Royal Australian Corps of Military Police from 1989 to 2002. When he resigned in 2002, he was a commissioned officer with the rank of major.
He was defeated by Edwards, but received an unexpectedly strong vote, receiving a 8.2% primary vote swing towards him, with the result being unclear for several days.
He was re-elected with a 4.75% swing against former Lord Mayor of Perth Chas Hopkins at the 2010 election, and again with a slight swing against at the 2013 election.
Simpkins is also a former Australian and State representative in the sport of rowing, having won two national and six state championships. Edwards retired at the 2007 election, and Simpkins won the seat against new Labor candidate Liz Prime with a 2.5% swing, one of only four pro-Coalition swings in Australia and the only new House seat won by the Liberal Party.
Simpkins is an outspoken social conservative. He was one of four Liberal MPs to abstain from the apology to the Stolen Generations, declaring that he worried "that it could lock in negativity about the future", that indigenous people were no longer denied employment opportunities, and that he would "again back children being taken in this situation".
He has attacked halal food, declaring in 2011 "by having Australians unwittingly eating Halal food, then we are all one step down the path of conversion, and that is a step we should only make with full knowledge and not be imposed upon us unknowingly." His position was criticised by Labor Member of Parliament Chris Bowen.
He has supported banning the burqa in Australia.
He has also supported sleep deprivation torture as a means of gaining information.
Simpkins opposes same-sex marriage.
He has been a Liberal Party of Australia member of the Australian House of Representatives since 2007, representing the electorate of Cowan in Western Australia. He was a member of the Australian Federal Police from 1986 to 1987, an army officer from 1988 to 2002, a security consultant 2003 to 2004 and 2007, and a ministerial adviser from 2005 to 2006. Simpkins stated that such a motion would give Liberal members of parliament and senators the opportunity to either endorse the Prime Minister, Tony Abbott or "seek a new direction." The meeting was held on 9 February 2015 and the spill motion was defeated 61 votes to 39.
