Maria Vanessa Bird-Browne (born 1991) is a politician in

Antigua and Barbuda Antigua and Barbuda is a Sovereign state, sovereign archipelagic country composed of Antigua, Barbuda, and List of islands of Antigua and Barbuda, numerous other small islands. Antigua and Barbuda has a total area of 440 km2 (170 sq mi), ...

. She was elected as a member of the House of Representatives for St. John's Rural East in the

Parliament of Antigua and Barbuda The Parliament of Antigua and Barbuda () consists of the King of Antigua and Barbuda, the Senate and the House of Representatives. Section 27 of the Constitution establishes the Parliament. Parliament has the authority to enact laws for Antigu ...

in 2018, becoming the youngest lawmaker in the country. She is the country's minister for housing, lands, and urban renewal. Bird-Browne's grandfather and uncle were the first and second

prime ministers of Antigua and Barbuda A prime number (or a prime) is a natural number greater than 1 that is not a product of two smaller natural numbers. A natural number greater than 1 that is not prime is called a composite number. For example, 5 is prime because the only ways ...

, respectively. She is married to

Gaston Browne Gaston Alphonso Browne (born 9 February 1967) is an Antiguan politician serving as the prime minister of Antigua and Barbuda and leader of the Labour Party since 2014. Before entering politics, he was a banker and businessman. Early life Brown ...

, the current prime minister who assumed office in 2014.

Early life and education

Maria Bird was born in 1991. Her paternal grandfather,

Vere Bird Sir Vere Cornwall Bird, Order of the National Hero (Antigua and Barbuda), KNH (9 December 1909 – 28 June 1999) was the Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda#Prime Ministers of Antigua and Barbuda, 1981-present, first Prime Minister of Antigua ...

, was Antigua and Barbuda's first prime minister from 1981 to 1994 and is considered the father of the nation. Her parents are Purcell and Xandra Bird, and her uncle is

Lester Bird Sir Lester Bryant Bird (21 February 1938 – 9 August 2021) was an Antiguan politician and athlete who served as the second prime minister of Antigua and Barbuda from 1994 to 2004. He was chairman of the Antigua Labour Party (ALP) from 1971 to ...

, who served as prime minister of Antigua and Barbuda from 1994 to 2004. Her father Purcell Bird is founder of Murbee Resorts Inc, a company involved in luxury real estate development on the island of Barbuda.Robert Andre Emmanuel: Barbudan landowner brings two David v Goliath legal challenges against billionaire developers. Antigua Observer, 21 May 2024.
/ref> Bird-Browne graduated with a bachelor's degree in psychology from the

University of Phoenix University of Phoenix (UoPX) is a Private university, private For-profit higher education in the United States, for-profit university headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona. Founded in 1976, the university confers certificates and degrees at the Ac ...

. She later received a

bachelor of laws A Bachelor of Laws (; LLB) is an undergraduate law degree offered in most common law countries as the primary law degree and serves as the first professional qualification for legal practitioners. This degree requires the study of core legal subje ...

in 2019 from

Arden University Arden University is a private, for-profit teaching university in the United Kingdom. It offers a variety of undergraduate and postgraduate programmes with both blended and online distance learning delivery options. Its head office is in Cove ...

Political career

In the

2018 Antiguan general election Eighteen or 18 may refer to: * 18 (number) * One of the years 18 BC, AD 18, 1918, 2018 Film, television and entertainment * ''18'' (film), a 1993 Taiwanese experimental film based on the short story ''God's Dice'' * ''Eighteen'' (film), a 2 ...

, Bird-Browne ran as a candidate for the

Antigua and Barbuda Labour Party The Antigua and Barbuda Labour Party (ABLP) is a political party in Antigua and Barbuda. The current leader of the party is Gaston Browne, who serves as the Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda. The party had previously been led by Lester Bi ...

for the St. John's Rural East seat, which was previously held by her uncle Lester Bird. The former prime minister endorsed her as his successor. She won, becoming the youngest member of the

at age 26. She was also the youngest female lawmaker in the

Commonwealth A commonwealth is a traditional English term for a political community founded for the common good. The noun "commonwealth", meaning "public welfare, general good or advantage", dates from the 15th century. Originally a phrase (the common-wealth ...

at that time. After taking office in March 2018, Bird-Browne was appointed as minister for housing, lands, and urban renewal, as well as junior minister in the Ministry of Legal Affairs, Public Safety, and Labor. She has focused on housing and infrastructure on the islands during her term. In the

2023 Antiguan general election General elections were held in Antigua and Barbuda on 18 January 2023 to elect members of the House of Representatives (Antigua and Barbuda), House of Representatives. The Antigua and Barbuda Labour Party, Labour Party (ABLP) has held an absolu ...

, Bird-Browne was re-elected to the St. John's Rural East seat, collecting 1,770 votes ( UPP candidate Sean Bird, Bird-Browne's cousin, collected 1,460 votes;

DNA Deoxyribonucleic acid (; DNA) is a polymer composed of two polynucleotide chains that coil around each other to form a double helix. The polymer carries genetic instructions for the development, functioning, growth and reproduction of al ...

candidate Trevor Young won 48). Bird-Browne was also confirmed as minister for housing, works, lands, and urban renewal. She is married to the current prime minister of Antigua and Barbuda,

. The couple wed in 2013, the year after Browne had defeated her uncle to take control of the Antigua and Barbuda Labour Party. When Bird-Browne took office in 2018, it marked the first time a husband-and-wife pair served together in Parliament.

Controversies

Bird-Browne previously operated a charity, Share Inc., which was shut down in 2017 amid criticism of the government's dealings with the organization during her husband's first term as prime minister. He had announced that Share Inc. would partner with the government to finance a government-run venture capital fund at the Antigua and Barbuda Development Bank. When her candidacy for the 2018 election was announced in late 2017, critics charged that she was primarily chosen for the race because of her position both in the Bird dynasty and as the prime minister's wife. There was speculation that other candidates vying for the nomination were pressured to step back after Bird-Browne expressed interest in the seat. The Labour Party, however, denied that the prime minister was involved in selecting the candidate for her constituency and said that she was selected based on a poll that the party had commissioned.

Personal life

Maria Bird-Browne and her husband, Prime Minister Gaston Browne, have two children: a son, Prince Gaston Browne, and a daughter, Peace-Marie Xandra Browne. Gaston Browne has three other children from before the couple were married.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bird-Browne, Maria 1991 births Antigua and Barbuda Labour Party politicians Members of the House of Representatives (Antigua and Barbuda) Government ministers of Antigua and Barbuda Antigua and Barbuda women in politics Bird family (Antigua and Barbuda) Living people 21st-century women politicians Members of the 16th legislature of Antigua and Barbuda Members of the 15th legislature of Antigua and Barbuda Women government ministers of Antigua and Barbuda