TRANSCRIPT – ABC Afternoon Briefing with Patricia Karvelas

Angie Bell MP

Shadow Minister for the Environment

Shadow Minister for Youth

Federal Member for Moncrieff

TRANSCRIPT

ABC Afternoon Briefing with Patricia Karvelas

5 November 2025

Subjects: Roger Cook’s environmental reform concerns; Stakeholder consultation crucial for balanced EPBC reform; Liberal Party; Net Zero; Priya’s Bill.

E&OE…………………………………………………………………………………………………

PATRICIA KARVELAS:

Angie Bell is the Shadow Environment Minister. She joins me now. Welcome.

ANGIE BELL:

Great to be with you, PK.

PATRICIA KARVELAS:

If Roger Cook, who is not exactly a greenie, I think it’s fair to say, says pass the laws, why shouldn’t you?

ANGIE BELL:

Well, I think Roger Cook outlined there very succinctly and clearly that there are problems and industry does have concern with this bill or these seven bills, I might add, that are before the House. And so, interesting that he’s here. I’m still waiting on his reply to my email asking for a meeting with him while he was here to discuss those concerns. But he’s probably back in Western Australia by now, I would imagine. But he did highlight there that there are concerns for industry.

PATRICIA KARVELAS:

Yeah, I mean, you know, there are around the edges, but the bill is now being debated in the lower house. It’ll then go to the Senate, of course. Has there been progress in getting a deal?

ANGIE BELL:

When you say around the edges, PK, I think that’s kind of underselling how important this legislation is to Australians. It’s very important to protect the environment, but it’s also important to protect jobs, productivity and investment in our nation, because that is what funds our wealth when it comes to health and education. And of course, Roger Cook and the Western Australian government have a big stake in that. I think it’s important that we continue to consult with the government where we can on this to see if there’s a way through. That is my intention. But stakeholders are telling me right now, and they’re probably telling Roger Cook, that the Bills in the form that they are now are worse, would be worse if they were passed right now.

PATRICIA KARVELAS:

So, you think this legislation is worse than what we currently have?

ANGIE BELL:

That is what stakeholders across the spectrum are telling me. And my door on my office is revolving at the moment with many, many, stakeholders, including conservationists who are coming into my office, and they’re not happy either.

PATRICIA KARVELAS:

No

ANGIE BELL:

So, there are clearly lots of flaws.

PATRICIA KARVELAS:

And that goes to the issue, doesn’t it? If conservationists are also unhappy, doesn’t it demonstrate the point that the Minister is making? I mean, you have to, if you want to walk through the middle, you are going to have that tension between those two groups.

ANGIE BELL:

Well, he has outlined that stakeholders have to give and take, but I’m looking through the lens of productivity and jobs and the future of our nation, and it’s very important that we don’t get these laws wrong.

PATRICIA KARVELAS:

So let me put this to you. The Liberal Party looks poised to dump net zero by 2050, which is a sort of key emblematic thing for so many people demonstrating a commitment to ending climate change. And then at the same time, you’re looking at possibly not passing the environment laws. How can you do both and remain credible as a party on the environment?

ANGIE BELL:

Well, I think you’re assuming that we will do both. Neither of those things have actually been done at the moment. Both of those things are in train and they’re in Dan Tehan’s friend, in process, of course, at the moment. But I think it’s important that we look at where those two processes are up to, and I’m happy to go to both of those.

PATRICIA KARVELAS:

Let me go to just the politics, because I’m quite, like, curious about when you say both of those are in train, OK, let’s accept that. If you were to land at a no on both, right, how would that look to the electorate?

ANGIE BELL:

I think I heard someone say the other day, if you start a sentence with if, I’m not going to answer that.

PATRICIA KARVELAS:

Well, I don’t care if they said that because, of course, I’m asking about scenarios that are playing out.

ANGIE BELL:

I know, but these are big ifs, Patricia.

PATRICIA KARVELAS:

But do you accept…

ANGIE BELL:

I think it’s unfair that you say we’re poised to do anything because we haven’t finished our processes. On net zero, we’ve got another party room coming up outside of parliamentary sittings.

PATRICIA KARVELAS:

When?

ANGIE BELL:

Well, that’s coming up. I haven’t got the date in my diary at this point to share that with you.

PATRICIA KARVELAS:

Will there be a parliamentary meeting, just to be clear, that will be before the last sitting week?

ANGIE BELL:

Well, the Leader has outlined that. She said that yesterday here in Parliament House that we would have another meeting. And so, we’ll go through that process and we’ll land where we land on this in due course.

PATRICIA KARVELAS:

But on the concept, if you were to say no to both, do you see that would be risky electorally?

ANGIE BELL:

I’m not going to enter into ifs or buts on that. We’ll continue with the process on both of those things. In terms of EPBC, it’s going to be in a Senate inquiry, for coming back on the 24th of March at the moment. And so, stakeholders need to have time to go through that 1,500-odd pages of legislation so that they can understand the ramifications for them and their organisations.

PATRICIA KARVELAS:

Is Sussan Ley being undermined as leader because she’s a woman?

ANGIE BELL:

I think Sussan Ley deserves to have a go in the top job. And I don’t think it’s helpful when there’s a lot of noise, white noise that we’ve heard around, postulating ifs, buts, all of those things. I don’t think they’re helpful coming from anyone at the moment. And I think she deserves to have a red hot go.

She has outlined some very good economic policies. She’s promised lower taxes (sic) already and she’s promised to help young people with the intergenerational unfairness that’s going on in terms of buying homes.

PATRICIA KARVELAS:

And do you think people are undermining her?

ANGIE BELL:

Well, I think that there’s a lot of white noise that’s not giving her clear air.

PATRICIA KARVELAS:

And do you think she’s not being given the chance to have a red-hot go?

ANGIE BELL:

Well, while there’s other messaging going on around her and around the Liberal Party it would be very difficult for any leader to have the clear air that they need to speak directly to the Australian people, which is what the Liberal Party needs to be doing. We need to be focused on a government who is the worst in our history and their energy policy that they are rolling out, which is failing Australians. Because, as you know, when you opened your last electricity bill, your bills were up 39 per cent, and so were other Australians across the country. And we’ve got families who can’t pay their mortgage, interest rates haven’t gone down, inflation’s ticked up, and so this is a disaster for Australian families.

PATRICIA KARVELAS:

So, your male colleagues seem very busy talking about her. Does that worry you? Are they undermining the first female Liberal leader?

ANGIE BELL:

Look, the word undermining- there is noise everywhere and it is getting in the way of her being able to message.

PATRICIA KARVELAS:

Just final question, just on Priya’s Bill and the men, and they were all men, on your party that talked about late-term abortion, what did you make of that?

ANGIE BELL:

Look, in terms of abortion, my position on that is very clear. I’m a woman and I’ll make a decision over my own body.

PATRICIA KARVELAS:

Thank you for your time.

ANGIE BELL:

Pleasure.

ENDS.