Donna Petrovich

{{Short description|Australian politician}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2016}}

{{Use Australian English|date=September 2016}}

{{Infobox officeholder

|name = Donna Petrovich

|honorific-suffix =

|image =

|birth_date = {{birth date and age|1963|11|15|df=y}}

|birth_place = Bendigo, Victoria, Australia

|office1 = Member of the Victorian Parliament for Northern Victoria Region

|party = Liberal Party

|occupation = Manager, marketing executive

|term_start1 = 25 November 2006

|term_end1 = 1 July 2013

|portfolio =

|website =

}}

Donna-Lee Petrovich (born 15 November 1963) is an Australian former politician. She was a Liberal Party member of the Victorian Legislative Council from 2006 to 2013, representing Northern Victoria Region. She resigned with a year remaining of her second term in order to contest the 2013 federal election in the seat of McEwen, but was defeated by Labor incumbent Rob Mitchell.

Petrovich was born in Bendigo, Victoria. She commenced her working life at her families business, Bynon Industries. Some of her community work involved being the marketing executive of the Central Victorian Racing Club and the Hanging Rock Racing Club. She was also very active in the local Liberal Party branches.

She won the Hanging Rock Ward in the Macedon Ranges Shire Council 2000 General Election on first preferences of 50.5%.{{Cite web | url=http://vec.vic.gov.au/Results/macedonrangesresult2000.html |title = Macedon Ranges Shire Council election results 2000 - Victorian Electoral Commission}} She again won this ward in the 2003 General Election on first preferences of 50.83%.{{Cite web | url=http://vec.vic.gov.au/Results/macedonrangesresult2003.html |title = Macedon Ranges Shire Council election results 2003 - Victorian Electoral Commission}} She served the council as deputy and then mayor during this period. She did not contest the 2005 council general election.

Prior to the 2006 Victorian state election, she won preselection for the second position on the Liberal ticket in Northern Victoria, with Shepparton's Wendy Lovell in the top position. In February 2008, she was appointed Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Health Services.{{Cite web | url=http://www.parliament.vic.gov.au/re-member/details/1613-petrovich-donna |title = Remember Search}}

She was re-elected in the 2010 election, and was appointed Parliamentary Secretary for Sustainability and the Environment in the new coalition government.{{Cite news |title= Liberal VIC candidate wins last upper house seat by 412 votes |date=14 December 2010 |newspaper=Mildura Independent }} She was also a Member of the Law Reform Committee.

Petrovich resigned from the Legislative Council on 1 July 2013 to contest the electorate of McEwen. She was defeated by incumbent Labor MP Rob Mitchell.

At the 2014 Victorian state election, Petrovitch contested the Victorian Legislative Assembly seat of Macedon for the Liberal Party, but was defeated by Labor candidate Mary-Anne Thomas.{{Cite web | url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/vic-election-2014/guide/mace/ |title = Macedon - Victorian Election 2014 - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)| website=Australian Broadcasting Corporation }}

Petrovich also controversially nominated for the Liberal Party preselection contest for the South West Coast seat vacated by former premier Denis Napthine.{{cite news |last1=Judd |first1=Bridget |title=Denis Napthine refuses to endorse Liberal candidate Donna Petrovich for his former seat |url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-09-01/napthine-slams-parachuting-in-of-candidate-for-south-west-vic/6740370 |accessdate=2019-02-19 |work=ABC News |publisher=Australian Broadcasting Corporation |date=2015-09-01}} The endorsed Liberal Party candidate, and eventual winner of the by-election, Roma Britnell, defeated all other preselection candidates in the first round of voting, receiving more than 50% of the delegate votes.