B.A. (Hons) (Syd), Ph.D., Dip Ed. (Monash), M.A.Ps.S.
Kay Patterson was elected to the Senate in 1987, and retired in June 2008 after 21 years. Prior to entering the Senate she had worked as a secretary and then manager of a small business before returning to school and obtained a degree at the University of Sydney and a Ph.D. in psychology at Monash. She has taught psychology and human development to health science students at the Lincoln Institute (now at LaTrobe University) where she held a senior academic position.
In Government she has been Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Immigration and the Minister for Foreign Affairs. She was appointed Minister for Health and Ageing in 2001 and then in October 2003 became Minister for Family and Community Services and Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Women’s Issues. Although she retired from Cabinet in January 2006, Senator Patterson will remain in the Senate until her current Term of Service expires in June 2008.
She was a member of Monash University Council for twenty years and has been a member of Guides Australia since she was 10. In 2002 she was honoured to be appointed an Honorary Life Member of Guides Victoria.
