Brenda Fowlie

{{Short description|Canadian politician}}

{{Use Canadian English|date=January 2023}}

{{Infobox officeholder

| name = Brenda Fowlie

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| office1 = Member of the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick

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| term_start1 = 1999

| term_end1 = September 2006

| office2 = New Brunswick Minister of Environment and Local Government

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| term_start2 = June 27, 2003

| term_end2 = July 21, 2005

| office3 = New Brunswick Minister of Energy

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| term_start3 = February 13, 2006

| term_end3 = September 2006

| birth_date = May 15, 1953

| birth_place = Quispamsis, New Brunswick

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| office4 = Member of the Quispamsis Town Council

| term_start4 = 1993

| term_end4 = 1999

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Brenda Olive Fowlie (born May 15, 1953) is a journalist and politician in the Canadian province of New Brunswick. She was formerly a member of the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick and a member of the cabinet.

A resident of Quispamsis, New Brunswick, Fowlie was first elected to the legislature in the 1999 election and was re-elected in 2003 by a very narrow margin. She was originally declared the winner in 2003 by a margin of 16 votes and a recount delayed the swearing in of the cabinet and the first session of the legislature. The results of the election were so close that Fowlie's uncertain victory meant the difference between a majority government for her Progressive Conservative Party of New Brunswick and a tie in seats with the PCs and the opposition New Brunswick Liberal Association. The recount reaffirmed her victory increasing her margin to 18 votes.

Prior to her election to the legislature, Fowlie had been a member of her local school board and was elected to Quispamsis town council in 1995 and re-elected in 1998. She wrote a column for local newspapers and hosted several news and public affairs programs on public access television.

She was sworn into cabinet as the Minister of Environment and Local Government on June 27, 2003 and resigned from cabinet on July 21, 2005 after the provincial ombudsman reported she had violated provincial privacy laws when she used personal information, from her department, on fellow MLA Stuart Jamieson to attack his character in the legislature and to reporters.{{cite web|url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/loose-lips-force-second-minister-from-cabinet-1.528761|title=Loose lips force second minister from cabinet|work=CBC News|date=October 31, 2005|accessdate=2014-11-09}} She made a quick political recovery however when she was re-added to cabinet on February 14, 2006 as Minister of Energy.{{cite web|url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/nb-cabinet-shuffle-aimed-at-boosting-slumping-economy/article703308/|title=N.B. cabinet shuffle aimed at boosting slumping economy|work=The Globe and Mail|date=February 15, 2006|accessdate=2014-11-09}}

She was defeated in her bid for a third term in the 2006 election and thus left the legislature and the cabinet.