Patrick John (Paddy) O'Brien (12 January 1937, Wodonga, Victoria – 1998, Perth, Western Australia), was an Australian political scientist and author, teaching in the political science department of the University of Western Australia from 1969 until his death.
He was a vocal critic of WA Inc corruption and the Australian Labor Party in Western Australia (WA) in the 1980s, was embroiled in a university controversy, and was elected to the 1998 Australian Commonwealth Government's People's Constitutional Convention[1] shortly before he died, in the same year[2] O'Brien's parents were John Cornelius O'Brien and Monica Augusta Coore.
He graduated from the University of Melbourne in 1967 (BA with combined honours in history and political science).
[3] At UWA, he became an associate professor in political science "with a particular focus on twentieth century totalitarianism and was best known publicly for his involvement in two high-profile campaigns, as a leading critic of the Western Australian Burke Labor government ... and as a vocal direct-election republican".
[4] After his death, UWA established a Patrick O'Brien Foundation "in honour of his outstanding contribution to issues of public policy and political debate in Australia" with funds donated by colleagues, friends and admirers.