Introduction
Patricia May Petersen, is an Australian academic from Ipswich, Queensland.
Education
Petersen holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of New South Wales and was awarded a Doctor of Philosophy from the University of Queensland in 2002. Petersen has been a lecturer at Central Queensland University.
Electoral history
Petersen has run unsuccessfully for political office many times, and has been referred to as a serial candidate.
Petersen ran as an independent candidate for the federal seat of Warringah in 2004 and 2007. She lost both times to Tony Abbott. Petersen also contested the mayoral election in Manly in 2008, and lost to Jean Hay.
Petersen ran as an independent for the Queensland seat of Bundamba in the 2009 state election, and lost to Jo-Ann Miller.
Petersen contested the seat of Blair at the 2010 federal election as an Australians Greens candidate, and lost to Shayne Neumann.
Petersen contested the seat of Ipswich as an independent in the 2012 Queensland state election, and lost to Ian Berry.
In 2013 Petersen started her own political party, the Australian Independents, and ran as the lead Senate candidate for the state of Queensland in the 2013 federal election. Petersen did not secure a seat after distributions were allotted.
Following her bid to be elected to the Senate, Petersen ran as an independent candidate for Mayor of Noosa in late 2013. Petersen lost to Noel Playford.
Petersen again contested the seat of Ipswich as an independent at the 2015 state election. Petersen lost to Jennifer Howard.
Petersen ran for Division 3 of Ipswich City Council in 2016, and lost to Kerry Silver.
The Australian Independents was deregistered in February 2016 because it did not show sufficient membership to remain as a registered political party.
Petersen again ran for office at the 2016 federal election for the seat of Blair. Petersen lost, polling the second least amount of votes.
Personal life
Petersen has written two books, and has written and starred in two plays based on her time running against Tony Abbott in 2004 and 2007.
She is a relationships counsellor, and has worked for Brisbane radio station B105 FM and Sydney radio station 2UE. She was a panellist on the Australian television show Beauty and the Beast.
Petersen has a black belt in karate.