Transcript – ABC Radio Gold Coast – Drive with Bern Young

Angie Bell MP

Shadow Minister for the Environment

Shadow Minister for Youth

Federal Member for Moncrieff

TRANSCRIPT

ABC Radio Gold Coast – Drive with Bern Young

 

18 July 2025

 

Subjects: 48th Parliament dynamic, Holding Labor to account, Listening to Australians, Shadow Environment portfolio and priorities for preserving our ecosystem, UK voting age.

 

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

 

BERN YOUNG:

Have you ever found yourself in a room and you’re well and truly outnumbered? That’s going to be the Coalition next week, when the new Parliament sits for the first time. That landslide Labor victory in May will see 94, count them, government faces, hogging the lower house, we might say. LNP Member for Moncrieff, Angie Bell, sitting across them. She’s sitting across me at the moment. Of course, you’re part of Sussan Ley’s shadow ministry now. Hello.

ANGIE BELL:

Hello. Great to be with you live in the studio.

BERN YOUNG:

Really didn’t mean to play they can’t stand losing, but there you go. You did lose the election.

ANGIE BELL:

It’s the new theme song.

BERN YOUNG:

Last time you were here, the Libs and Nats were just in the middle of such a mess. How have you really managed to put that behind you as you head into Parliament?

ANGIE BELL:

Well, I think we need to focus on what’s ahead, and we need to deliver hope for Australians and for particularly the next generation. I think that’s really important and as the Shadow Minister for Youth for the second term – which I’m thrilled about, and also thrilled that their voice has been elevated into Cabinet with the environment portfolio.

We need to really focus on delivering for Australians and this cost of living crisis hasn’t gone away. In fact, it’s gotten worse, and the government has a super majority, as you pointed out. But I think what’s really important too, to highlight, is that the government has a super majority based on a 35 per cent primary. So actually, only one in three Australians voted for them, and one in three Australians voted for the Liberals as well, but it’s about those preferential voting cards in the system that the Teals and the Greens obviously send their preferences to.

BERN YOUNG:

Doesn’t change the numbers, though. So, I know that interesting is the dynamic. You know, can you give us a bit of an inside feel for the dynamic in that room? I mean, I’ve never even been in that room.

ANGIE BELL:

It’s going to be loud.

BERN YOUNG:

Yeah, you know, for instance, you know, you’ve got a big opposing team on the other side. How does that change the dynamics? Do you think?

ANGIE BELL:

Well, obviously, they’ll have a very loud, strong voice, and so we will have to amplify ours. We’ll work with the government where we can this term, Bern. Australians have voted, and we do need to listen to Australians, but we’ll hold them to account where we must and where we have to, because we don’t agree that all of their policies are good policy.

Sussan Ley has said, we’ll review our policies. Our policies are up for debate. Our values are not and they’re timeless, and we do believe in smaller government, in lower taxes, in individual responsibility and in reward for effort. These are timeless values, but we need to connect with Australians, and the way that we need to do that is to listen to what they have to say.

And Sussan Ley has been on a listening tour. She’s been in Western Australia yesterday, I’ve been doing environmental visits in the electorate, at Sea World and then I’ve been to Currumbin, and just yesterday, I was up at Mount Tamborine speaking to Landcare as well. So, we are getting out and about listening. And I think that’s so very important to move forward.

BERN YOUNG:

I do want to actually ask you a bit about your newer portfolio of environment in a minute. But just in terms of that dynamic, is there a strategy as to who sits where, for instance, so that when the camera is appointed, you know, will you have a new seat? I mean, you obviously have a new seat because you’re on the other side, but will you have a new placement? And how is all of this decided?

ANGIE BELL:

Well, there is a seating plan that comes out, and the leadership, I believe, will come up with that seating plan.

BERN YOUNG:

But you don’t know it yet. You don’t know where you are.

ANGIE BELL:

No, I haven’t seen that at this point in time, but that will come out, obviously, before the first time we go into the Parliament.

BERN YOUNG:

And what dictates that is that about, you know, you said you’ve got to be loud because you’ve got such a big opposing side? Is it about whoever’s the most, I don’t know?

ANGIE BELL:

Well, if you’re too loud, the speaker will tell you not to be, and they’ll turn the microphones off and perhaps even send you out of the chamber. But you certainly have to work within the standing orders, and the seating plan is according to, generally seniority, and so the Leader of the Opposition will be in that chair, opposing the Prime Minister, and then her most senior ministers will be behind her, the Leader of the House, or the Leader of Opposition Business, as he is known. That’s Alex Hawke. He will be close to the leader, so that the leadership can talk about whatever the strategy is in the House, whatever the business of the government is and whatever the opposition business is as well. And so, it’s important that we are seated close together so that we can have those conversations during question time, for example.

BERN YOUNG:

Yeah, well, there’ll be 43 of you, 94 of them, and a bunch of others around the place. Let’s talk environment. This is a newly appointed portfolio since we last talked. Shadow spokesperson for the environment.

What Gold Coast issues have you really got your eye on? I know you’ve been to Sea World and Currumbin, but what are the big issues here?

ANGIE BELL:

Well, there’s lots of issues around the country. I think the biggest reform piece nationally that will affect everyone is the EPBC Act, which needs to be reformed, and it’s not serving our environment, to conserve our environment, and it’s not also serving jobs and industry and investment in our country. And so, that will be the big focus. The Minister has also outlined that will be his focus. And that’s very, very important locally here.

Obviously marine conservation is so very important here on the Gold Coast. We have beautiful beaches, and we want to make sure that we protect them at all costs. And that’s very, very important. And I think practical measures, like marine plastics, for example, is one. Also, Sea World, the head vet there, Dr Claire, she’s been talking to me about fishing lines, and I think we should be promoting awareness around what fishermen and fisherwomen do with their fishing lines, because it does hurt marine mammals here on the Gold Coast, particularly turtles as well. I was there just last week and witnessed a turtle that had lost a flipper due to fishing line and that was heartbreaking to see. I have to commend the SeaWorld Foundation for the work that they do.

And as we know, the Crisafulli Government has delivered $10 million there for an expansion of their hospital. That’s very, very exciting, because it will be the best in the Southern Hemisphere.

BERN YOUNG:

way from the ocean. Of course, we’ve got that green behind the gold. Should we be, I know that this has been on the cards for decades. Your side of politics might even be back in charge by the time something actually happens with a cable car on the Gold Coast. Should we be building a cable car into World Heritage Rainforest? Do you think?

ANGIE BELL:

Well, I think that’s before the state government right now, and whether that comes before the Commonwealth, will be a matter for the Minister at that time to make a decision. But at this point in time, I don’t think there’s been an application as such.

BERN YOUNG:

You must be thinking about it, though. This is your backyard. You’re now the environment…[interrupted]

ANGIE BELL:

Well I think it’s…[interrupted]

BERN YOUNG:

..person for the LNP.

ANGIE BELL:

Well, I think we need to strike a balance, and that balance is between protecting our rainforest and also having a thriving eco-tourism industry here on the Gold Coast, because it’s one in seven jobs as we know. It’s a $6 billion industry, and many, many Gold Coasters work in tourism. So, I think we need to strike a balance, and initially it will be a decision for the state government.

BERN YOUNG:

It’s just 18 past four now on ABC Gold Coast Bern Young with you for Drive. Angie Bell, the Member for Moncrieff, joining me ahead of Parliament, returning to business in Canberra next week. Last month, you held the Gold Coast impact youth summit. You started talking about the younger folk, you know, the UK are open out there voting to 16 and 17 year olds. What do you think of that? And do you think would ever work here?

ANGIE BELL:

Well, obviously it’s a matter for the UK Government, and it’s before them. But, Bern, what were you doing when you were 16?

BERN YOUNG:

You don’t actually want to know.

ANGIE BELL:

I was working in a music shop, and I was not involved in politics in any way, shape or form. What were you doing, Bern?

BERN YOUNG:

Well, do you want the truth?

ANGIE BELL:

Yeah.

BERN YOUNG:

Because, well, how have you been answering me with the truth? You know, I could tell you the truth. I was impersonating an elector at the age of 17. I actually, and I’ve told this story on air before, in a state election. I thought it would be funny, and my sister was backpacking, who was a voter, and we thought she’ll never know that there was this election going on.

Unbeknownst to me. I didn’t realise until I was a backpacker years later that you can’t wait to go and vote when you’re a backpacker. So, she went and voted in a Queensland election, and I, as a stupid teenager at the at the age of 17, pretended to be Elizabeth Young.

ANGIE BELL:

Goodness me.

BERN YOUNG:

And I got caught, and I went to, I went before a judge, not once, but twice. And my brother, this is the best part of this story. My brother was present in the house, was semi-aware that his younger sister was doing something stupid and didn’t stop it. So, guess you had to pay my legal fees? My brother. That’s justice in the young family. So, I don’t know, maybe 17 year olds do want to get involved in politics, and don’t make them break the law to do it.

ANGIE BELL:

Well there’s a good warning in that story for your listeners,

BERN YOUNG:

You weren’t expecting that were you?

ANGIE BELL:

Absolutely not. But I welcome the story and I think we do need to engage better with young people. Certainly, the Liberal Party needs to engage better with young people. And part of the elevation of the youth portfolio into Shadow Cabinet will give young people a voice through me. And the Gold Coast Youth Impact summit holds me in good stead for that…[interrupted]

BERN YOUNG:

Don’t let them vote yet.

ANGIE BELL:

I speak with them very often. Look, I think we do also have a gap in our civics education, and that is only three out of ten Australian young people, aged 16 in year 10, actually have proficiency in civics. And so I think we need to…[interrupted]

BERN YOUNG:

If we let them vote, though, you’d have to educate them.

ANGIE BELL:

Well, which one comes first? I think you have to know what you’re getting in for. I also think, you know, young people have a lot on their plate right now. It’s harder than ever, I believe, to be a young person with the cost of living crisis, with the housing shortage, with those young people who have been disenfranchised with their family or with their work, and it’s tough. It’s really difficult for them. Is this another thing? So, it’s not before the Australian Parliament right now, however.

BERN YOUNG:

No.

ANGIE BELL:

But we do need to engage more closely with young people and support them.

BERN YOUNG:

Angie Bell, have fun back in Canberra next week, we’ll see where you end up around the seating plan that is yet to be revealed. And always nice to have you here in our ABC Gold Coast studios. Thank you.

ANGIE BELL:

Enjoyed it very much. Thank you.

 

ENDS.