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Her Honour the HonourableBrenda MurphyONB OStJ
Murphy in 2020
32nd Lieutenant Governor of New Brunswick
Incumbent
Assumed office September 8, 2019
Monarchs	Elizabeth II Charles III
Governors General	Julie Payette Mary Simon
Premier	Blaine Higgs Susan Holt
Preceded by	Jocelyne Roy-Vienneau
Personal details
Born	1958 or 1959 (age 65–66)
Domestic partner	Linda Boyle

Brenda L. Murphy (born 1958 or 1959) is a Canadian activist and politician who currently serves as the 32nd lieutenant governor of New Brunswick, since September 8, 2019.

Career

She formerly served as a municipal councillor in Grand Bay–Westfield and served as the executive director of the Saint John Women's Empowerment Network in Saint John, best known for her advocacy on poverty and domestic violence issues. She served on a federal advisory council on poverty, and on New Brunswick's advisory council on the status of women.

Lieutenant-governor

Since September 8, 2019, she has served as lieutenant governor of New Brunswick. She is both the province's first openly LGBT lieutenant governor and the first openly LGBT person to hold any viceregal office in Canada.

In April 2022, the Court of Queen's Bench of New Brunswick ruled that her appointment as lieutenant governor violated the bilingual status of the province under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, since Murphy is unilingual English-speaking. However, in May 2024, the Court of Appeal of New Brunswick overturned this judgment.

On November 15, 2024, Louise Imbeault was announced as Murphy's replacement.

Honours and awards

Ribbon Bar of Brenda Murphy

Ribbon	Description	Post-nominal letters	Notes
	Dame of Justice of the Order of St. John	D.St.J
	Chancellor of the Order of New Brunswick	O.N.B
	Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Medal		New-Brunswick version
	King Charles III Coronation Medal		Canadian version

Personal life

Murphy lives in Grand Bay–Westfield. Her partner Linda Boyle has accompanied her on official engagements, including a visit to King Charles III at Buckingham Palace in November 2022.

Arms

Coat of arms of Brenda Murphy

Crest A butternut tree Or leaved Purpure fructed Argent issuant from a circlet Or the upper rim set with purple violets Proper. Escutcheon Per bend wavy Or and Purpure a bend wavy counterchanged between in chief an orca enarched Purpure embellished Argent and in base semé of mayflowers Argent seeded Or. Supporters Two snow geese Argent beaked and legged Or their exterior wings elevated and embellished standing on a cable ferry Purpure its railing Argent issuant from a bar wavy Argent charged with a barrulet wavy Purpure. Motto Every Voice Matters

References

1. ^ Bobbi-Jean Mackinnon, "Brenda Murphy 'humbled' to be appointed New Brunswick's new lieutenant-governor". CBC News New Brunswick, September 5, 2019.
2. ^ "Women's advocate Brenda Murphy named new lieutenant-governor of New Brunswick". CTV News Atlantic. Canadian Press. September 5, 2019. Retrieved September 9, 2019.
3. Alexander Quon, "Brenda Murphy officially sworn in as lieutenant-governor of New Brunswick". Global News, September 9, 2019.
4. "Women’s advocate Brenda Murphy named new lieutenant-governor of New Brunswick". Toronto Star, September 5, 2019.
5. Poitras, Jacques (April 14, 2022). "Appointment of unilingual N.B. lieutenant-governor violated charter, judge rules". CBC News. Retrieved April 16, 2022.
6. Poitras, Jacques (May 23, 2024). "N.B. Appeal Court says lieutenant-governor is not required to be bilingual". CBC News. Retrieved May 23, 2024. But the appeal court says the Charter doesn't specify a right to "speak" to the lieutenant-governor herself in English or French, only to communicate with her office.
7. Farley, Sam (November 15, 2024). "Louise Imbeault named next lieutenant-governor of New Brunswick". CBC News. Retrieved November 16, 2024.
8. ^ L'hon. / The Hon. Brenda Murphy (May 6, 2024). "It was a great honour to receive a King Charles III Coronation Medal from Her Excellency The Right Honourable Mary Simon, Governor General of Canada, during a virtual ceremony today. #CoronationMedal" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
9. The Royal Family, Court Circular, 30 November 2022
10. "Brenda Louise Murphy". Canadian Heraldic Authority. Retrieved August 15, 2023.

v t e Lieutenant governors of New Brunswick
Post-Confederation (1867–present)	Doyle Harding L. Wilmot Tilley Chandler R. Wilmot Tilley Boyd Fraser McClelan Snowball Tweedie Wood Ganong Pugsley Todd McLean M. MacLaren Clark D. MacLaren O'Brien McNair Bird Robichaud Stanley Finn McCain Trenholme Counsell Chiasson Nicholas Roy-Vienneau Murphy Louise Imbeault (designate)
Governors before Confederation (1786–1866)	Carleton Smyth Douglas Campbell Harvey Colebrooke Head Manners-Sutton Hamilton-Gordon

v t e Politics of New Brunswick
Lieutenant Governor	Brenda Murphy Former lieutenant governors
Premier	Susan Holt Former premiers Cabinet
Opposition leader	Vacant Former Opposition leaders
Speaker of the Assembly	Bill Oliver Former speakers
Legislature	Current members Former legislatures
Political parties	Liberals Progressive Conservatives Green Party New Democrats People's Alliance Libertarians
Elections	2024 general election Past elections
Current issues	Equalization payments NB Power Budget deficit
Other Canadian politics	BC AB SK MB ON QC NB NS PEI NL YU NT NU

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