Kay Patterson
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Kay Christine Lesley Patterson (born November 21, 1944) has been a Liberal member of the Australian Senate since 1987, representing the state of Victoria.
Patterson was born in Sydney, New South Wales, and was educated at the University of Sydney and Monash University. She studied psychology and education, going on to become a university lecturer, working in several universities in both Australia and in the United States.
In 1985, Patterson was elected as her local party branch delegate to the Liberal Party's State Council, and the following year, rose to become its Vice President. She was rewarded in 1987, when she was pre-selected for a Liberal Senate seat, becoming a senator for the state of Victoria in 1987.
Patterson was promoted to the shadow ministry in 1990 as a parliamentary secretary. Over the next few years, she occupied a number of portfolios in relation to health, aged care and social policy. She was promoted again (Shadow Minister for Senior Citizens and Aged Care and Shadow Minister Assisting the Leader on Women’s Affairs and the Arts) under the leadership of John Hewson, but found herself demoted again under Alexander Downer.
The Liberal Party was returned to power at the 1996 election under John Howard, and Patterson was appointed as Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs in the new government. In 2000, she moved to the position of Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Foreign Affairs. The following year, Patterson led the Australian delegation to the World Conference Against Racism in Durban, South Africa.
At the 2001 election, then-Health Minister Michael Wooldridge retired, and Patterson was appointed as his replacement. She was well received by the Australian Medical Association, who had had a strained relationship with her predecessor.
However, during 2003 and 2004, health began to emerge as a serious political issue for the Liberal Party in the leadup to the 2004 election. Prime Minister Howard attempted to make a series of reforms to Medicare, and Patterson found herself under attack from Australian Labor Party Shadow Health Minister, Julia Gillard. She was replaced as Health Minister by Tony Abbott, and appointed to the lesser portfolio of Minister for Family and Community Services and Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for the Status of Women.
Patterson remains highly involved with the Girl Guides movement, having been a member of their State Council since 1974 (with the exception of a two-year break between 1991 and 1993). She is a monarchist.
On 22 January 2006, Patterson announced her resignation from the ministry. She also announced that she would retire from Parliament when her term expires.
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