Community News & Speeches

5 Feb | '2025

Child Care

The Prime Minister promised Australia cheaper child care. He promised a pay rise for 200,000 educators by the end of the year. But just like all of his other promises, like no changes to superannuation, no changes to the stage 3 tax cuts and—who can forget?—cheaper power bills, he has failed to deliver for Australians. Under Labor, the cost of child care has risen by 22.3 per cent, and the latest inflation data shows that, since Labor’s changes to the child-care subsidy, out-of-pocket fees have skyrocketed by 12.7 per cent.

3 Feb | '2025

TRANSCRIPT – SKY NEWS NEWSDAY WITH KIERAN GILBERT

KIERAN GILBERT:

Welcome back to the program. Joining me now is the Shadow Minister for Early Childhood Education, Angie Bell. Angie, big focus in your space this week. Jason Clare is talking about introducing or expediting the bill, which would remove the activity test for three days of child care for those that work or don’t work, study or don’t study, the activity test will essentially be gone. What’s your position on it, given the speed with which the government is acting on this?

28 Jan | '2025

Coalition will deliver for Mermaid Beach

The Mermaid Beach community called for an upgrade and, if elected, the Coalition will deliver. A Dutton-led Coalition government will continue the Coalition’s strong track record of delivering for the Gold Coast with funding secured to revamp the Mermaid Beach Bowls Club.

28 Jan | '2025

TRANSCRIPT – ABC RADIO SYDNEY BREAKFAST WITH CRAIG REUCASSEL

CRAIG REUCASSEL:

Well as you might remember, last week I spoke to Kirsten Drysdale as part of our misinformation segment. She was very angry. She’s on the committee of a small not for profit community child care center, and they were really struggling with getting access to the government’s pay rise for early childhood educators. Here’s how she explained the process.

27 Jan | '2025

TRANSCRIPT – SKY NEWS NEWSDAY WITH KIERAN GILBERT

KIERAN GILBERT:

Welcome back to the program. Let’s go live now to the Shadow Minister for Early Childhood Education, Angie Bell. Angie, thanks for your time. We’ve played today this new campaign video by the Liberal Party talking about Peter Dutton, a former police officer. He worked part time in a butcher shop when he was a young man as well and lots of images of their him with his family. How important is it for the Coalition, for Mr Dutton himself, to explain to the Australian people who he is, I guess, to humanise him.

24 Jan | '2025

15% pay rise for child care workers just another Labor lie

The Albanese Labor government should apologise to Australia’s early childhood education sector for lying about its pay rise promise, and making life harder for the educators. It has been revealed that 85% of the nation’s eligible educators have still not received a pay rise under Labor’s signature Worker Retention Payment.

23 Dec | '2024

Labor is leading the world, but badly

Australians know that they’re worse off because of Labor’s bad policies. The consequences of Labor’s $137 billion spending spree is clear. The cost of living for families has increased by nearly 19 per cent. Living standards have collapsed by an unprecedented amount of nearly nine per cent.

19 Dec | '2024

TRANSCRIPT – ABC GOLD COAST DRIVE WITH BERN YOUNG

BERN YOUNG:

Bern Young with you. Aat this time of year, there’s that feeling that everything’s winding down. Is that the case for our federal polllies, though? Sitting days are done, sure. Do they get their Christmas cards out and then just kick back, relax? Probably not, I would think, with an election looming in the new year.

I’m joined this afternoon by the Liberal Member for Moncrieff, which covers the central Gold Coast. Angie Bell, good afternoon.

ANGIE BELL MP:

Great to be with you. Bern.

19 Dec | '2024

TRANSCRIPT – SKY NEWS NEWSDAY WITH KIERAN GILBERT

KIERAN GILBERT:

The government also announced yesterday, families will be able to access child care subsidies for up to three days a week under the new plan. Let’s get some reaction from the Shadow Minister for Early Childhood Education, Angie Bell.

Angie, thanks for your time. The idea of dealing with those child care deserts, places like regional areas, out of suburban areas, isn’t it a good thing to try and provide that supply?

18 Dec | '2024

Gold Coasters suffer after worst ever year for business failures under Albo

The official ASIC insolvency data shows there have been almost 26,000 business insolvencies across Australia since the Albanese Government was elected and confirms November 2024 was the worst month for business insolvencies on record with 1,442 businesses going to the wall. November’s numbers confirm Australia has had 12,405 insolvencies in 2024. This means with a month to go 2024 is already the worst calendar year for business failures on record.