Patricia Petersen

Patricia May Petersen is an Australian academic.

Petersen has a PhD in philosophy from the University of Queensland, is a Lecturer of Economics, Business and Politics at Central Queensland University and a Fellow of the Philosophy Department at the University of Melbourne. She has worked as a relationships counsellor for Brisbane radio station B105 and Sydney radio station 2UE, and was a panellist on the Australian television show Beauty and the Beast. Petersen also teaches and has a black belt in karate, and is a former fashion model.

Petersen is currently contesting the seat of Ipswich in the 2012 Queensland state election. She has previously contested one Australian state and three federal elections, running in Tony Abbott's seat of Warringah as an Independent candidate in the 2004 and 2007 federal elections, where she polled 2.6% and 1.8% of the primary vote, respectively. She wrote a play entitled A Cup of Tea regarding her battle with Abbott. When she contested the seat of Bundamba in the 2009 Queensland state election, she received 4.07% of the primary vote. Petersen announced her candidacy as an Independent for the seat of Blair in the 2010 federal election. After she considered being a candidate for the LNP, Petersen contested the seat of Blair as the candidate for the Greens. She received 11% of the primary vote, achieving a swing of 7% toward the Greens.