James Christian "Jens" Petersen (11 December 1880 – 30 April 1953) was a builder and member of the Queensland Legislative Assembly.

[4] Petersen, at first representing the Labor Party, won the Queensland seat of Normanby at the state election of 1915, defeating the Liberal's Edward Archer.

In his resignation speech he blamed the government for maladministration, the crippling of industry, the restriction of development and the creation of financial stringency and unemployment because of legislative measures.

Subsequently, Premier Theodore ordered two of the ALP's strongest members to bring a very sick Labor member into the chamber on a stretcher and transport him across from one side of the House to the other during the remaining divisions.

[1] From 1929 until 1932 Petersen, by now a member of the governing Country and Progressive National Party, was the Home Secretary.