 Simpson was an accomplished journalist prior to entering Parliament, winning the prestigious Dalgety Excellence in Rural Journalism Award in 1989, for the State of Queensland.Simpson is the longest serving woman in the LNP party room and following the 2015 election, one of the longest serving Members of Parliament.When she won the newly created Sunshine Coast seat of Maroochydore in 1992, she was the youngest woman ever to be elected to Legislative Assembly.