Dowie's parents, Ann and Alan Dowie, were both police officers. At age 15 in 1990, she was a member of a semi-professional dance group that performed in the Soviet Union. Before her election to Parliament, she worked as a lawyer. Dowie attended the University of Otago, studying law and ecology. After graduating, Dowie worked for the law firm Macalisters and later the Department of Conservation. Dowie joined the National Party and was affiliated with their "Blue Greens" environmentalist faction.
Political career
Dowie was selected by the National party to replace retiring MP Eric Roy in the electorate; at the time, she had a low profile. In the, she won with a large margin to Labour's Lesley Soper. She was returned again in 2017 with a slightly reduced margin, but still beating Labour candidate Liz Craig, who was elected to parliament from the Labour list. She also defeated sitting New Zealand First MP Ria Bond, who was too far down the list to be re-elected. On 25 January 2019, Dowie was revealed as the MP who had an affair with fellow MP Jami-Lee Ross. Ross had disclosed this in October 2018, but the news media chose not to name her at the time. After it was learned that a police investigation had been launched into a text message allegedly sent by Dowie to Ross, media revealed her identity. However, the police decided that no further action was needed. In 2019 Dowie was re-selected by National in Invercargill unopposed, but in February 2020 announced her decision not to stand for re-election.
Political and public views and statements
Dowie has defended recreational whitebaiting. Dowie also criticised the Labour-led coalition government's plans to merge the country's polytechnics into a single entity. In particular the Southern Institute of Technology, one of the most successful polytechnics with reserves of over $30 million and a surplus of $4 million stating that the merger would cost jobs and cause Southland to lose its competitive advantage and respond to market needs. As National's spokesperson for conservation, she was critical of the Labour-led coalition's plans to cull Tahr without consultation with the hunting fraternity and led a campaign to "Stop the Tahr Cull" where over 25,000 signed the petition. Dowie is responsible for a member's bill entitled the Shark Cage Diving Bill which was drawn from the ballot in September 2018. This bill seeks to ensure both people and shark's safety should it become law. Currently it is an unregulated activity.
Personal life
Sarah Dowie is married to Mark Billcliff, a former first class cricketer for Otago, but it is understood they have separated. Dowie has two young children.
