Transcript – ABC Radio Brisbane Mornings with Steve Austin

Angie Bell MP

Shadow Minister for Environment

Shadow Minister for Youth

Federal Member for Moncrieff

TRANSCRIPT

ABC Radio Brisbane Mornings with Steve Austin

29 May 2025

Subjects: Shadow Ministry, 2025 Election Result, Environment and Youth, Labor’s delayed approval of North West Shelf extension

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

STEVE AUSTIN:

Well, the Liberal Party Leader, federally, Sussan Ley and The Nationals Leader David Littleproud have unveiled their shadow cabinet after renewing the Coalition. The trial separation didn’t work. They’re back together again. It comes just a week after the junior partner, The Nationals, walked away amid policy differences in the way of the May 3 election defeat. Among the changes relevant to Queensland in particular is Queensland Liberal Deputy Ted O’Brien will become the Shadow Treasurer. Notably, this shadow cabinet has fewer women in it than did Peter Dutton’s cabinet. Now one of the women who is in the shadow cabinet is Queensland Federal MP, the Member for Moncrieff, Angie Bell, who is the Shadow spokesperson for Youth and Environment. Angie Bell, good morning to you.

ANGIE BELL:

Good morning, Steve. I feel like I should start with a compliment after Clive’s comments.

STEVE AUSTIN:

Feel free, but don’t bother! So did you, I don’t want to be unfair to you, but it is notable that the new shadow cabinet, with the new female leader, the first time ever in the Liberal Party, has fewer women in it than did Peter Dutton’s team. Explain that to me.

ANGIE BELL:

I would say, Steve, that I personally have always supported more women in the Liberal Party. It was one of my main principles, of course, as LNP Women’s President in the state. But I welcome 40% of women in the wider ministry under Sussan Ley. And it’s great to see women have a strong voice at the cabinet table, and to see some new faces for the Australian public. We need to renew. We need to listen to the Australian public. And we don’t want the same thing over again. We want new voices, strong voices, and women like Kerrynne Liddle and Melissa McIntosh at the table, and I’m very proud to be part of that ministry under Sussan Ley’s leadership.

STEVE AUSTIN:

And goodbye to Jane Hume, and goodbye to Jacinta Nampijinpa Price, and they’re seen as talented people. At the 2022 election, you then said that the Coalition would have performed better if there were more women in the party. Has anything changed for you, Angie Bell?

ANGIE BELL:

Well no, I do celebrate having more women in the party, but I think we need to point out a penetrating glimpse into the bleeding obvious, as Joe Hockey used to say, and that is ultimately that we have to win elections to see more women like, for example, Maggie Forrest, in the seat of Ryan who missed out. It’s so important that we actually win elections in order to see more women. And we had an enormous amount of women, I think it was in the 30s, run at the last election. And so unfortunately, they were not successful, we were not successful at the election, and so there are fewer women in the party room.

STEVE AUSTIN:

Have you spoken with defeated leader Peter Dutton recently?

ANGIE BELL:

Absolutely. I’ve spoken with Peter a couple of times. I spoke with him the day after the election defeat, I wished him well and thanked him for his service to the LNP. He was the most senior leader in the LNP for the entire time that I have been in the Liberal National Party, which is about 13 years now, and so I wished him well. I also spoke briefly with him this morning, and he was devastated at our Origin loss last night, as we all are in Brisbane, but he’s doing well. He’s working with charities, he’s spending more time with family, and he’s looking forward to the next stage of his life.

STEVE AUSTIN:

Did he have any observations to draw about the loss to you, when you spoke with him last night?

ANGIE BELL:

He said it was a crushing blow, and I agree with him. Look, my man on the field is Tino from the Titans. He’s been a great supporter…

STEVE AUSTIN:

No, I’m talking about politics, not State of Origin!

ANGIE BELL:

Well, he was talking about State of Origin this morning, and so we’re all disappointed with the outcome as we are with the federal election.

STEVE AUSTIN:

My guest is Angie Bell, federal Liberal MP for Moncrieff here in Queensland. She’s the shadow spokesperson for youth and environment. Angie Bell, did you want the Coalition to be repaired, to get back together? Did you want that?

ANGIE BELL:

Absolutely, I’m a coalitionist. I’m a member of the Liberal National Party. And as your listeners would know, in Queensland, we have a marriage between the LNP. Federally, it’s more of a de facto relationship, and you know, over 80 years, we’ve had a few breakups during that time, but certainly, I’m very pleased to see the Coalition come back together, because we need to be a strong and united team when we go back to Canberra in order to deliver a credible opposition and an alternative government for the Australian people at the next election. We have a big job ahead of us, we know that. There’s some rebuilding to do. There’s some, much listening and reflection to do, and reshaping of the party as well to move forward.

STEVE AUSTIN:

I’m intrigued by the phrase de facto Coalition, was it the phrase? So now that you admit that you’re living in sin with the National Party, what did Sussan Ley say to you when she said “Angie Bell I want you to be the Shadow for Youth and Environment”. What did she, did she give any clarity to you personally as to why she wanted you to take on that role?

ANGIE BELL:

Well, Sussan congratulated me on the work that I had done in early childhood education and care over the last three years, and it was a great privilege to serve in that role. And she also pointed out the work that I had done up here on the Gold Coast for the Gold Coast Youth Impact Summit, the next one, by the way, shamelessly plugged for June the sixth, which is coming up, and that is to deliver opportunities for young people, but also deliver a voice for them moving forward. And I think that environment and youth together in one ministry or two ministries across one shadow minister is so very important. And the fact that Sussan has chosen to elevate youth into cabinet speaks volumes to Australian young people, and we know that environmental concerns are important to young people as well, and so I think it’s a good combination. They are both very important portfolios, and I’m very proud and pleased and humbled, I have to say, Steve, that Sussan has chosen me to lead the charge.

STEVE AUSTIN:

You will be shadowing another Queenslander, but Queensland Labor Environment Minister Murray Watt, a very experienced minister. He’s just approved the extension of the North West Shelf project in WA. As the Coalition’s environment spokesperson, is this a good move or otherwise, considering the environmental concerns around the project?

ANGIE BELL:

Well, I do know Murray Watt, I’ve known him for some time. I’ve been in the parliament for six years, and so we go back. He did send me a text congratulating me on my elevation, which was very nice of him. Look, the Coalition does, of course, welcome this decision, because we do need to find a balance between the environmental sustainability and the economy and jobs. And I think that under Labor, we’ve seen excessive red and green tape, and we’ve also seen delay after delay after delay. And I will just highlight that it was delayed until after the federal election, and we’ve now seen the Prime Minister this morning admitting, also, that we need firming to provide that base load power that the country needs. And these, you know, these are two obvious decisions that have been postponed until after the election to ensure Labor another term of power. And I think Australians can see through that.

STEVE AUSTIN:

The Energy Producers Conference is currently underway in Brisbane. The head of Santos, one of the big Australian resource companies, Kevin Gallagher, said this about investment in Australia for resource companies.

[AUDIO]

The head of Santos in Australia. Is that a concern to you, as the environment spokesperson, that resource companies would rather spend money elsewhere than in their own country at the moment?

ANGIE BELL:

Of course it’s a concern, and I look forward to meeting with stakeholders from across the portfolio. I think what industry needs, and what the resource sector needs is certainty around the environment and so that we have investment in Australia. We don’t want to see those companies going offshore, we want to see investment here in Australia, because remember that the strength of our country and the wealth of our country is built on the back of resources.

STEVE AUSTIN:

I’ll leave it there. Angie Bell, thank you very much for your time.

ANGIE BELL:

Thanks, Steve.

ENDS.