With an unyielding passion for her constituents and a knack for getting things done Angie Bell MP is a powerhouse in Australian politics. Angie has embraced the Gold Coast as her home for the past 22 years. We chatted to Angie about the pressing issues that Gold Coasters face in today’s uncertain economic landscape and how she is determined to make a positive impact on the lives of Gold Coasters.

How long have you been a Gold Coast local?
It’s been a journey to get here! I first moved to Brissy from Adelaide after falling in love with Queensland at Expo ‘88 and I lived there for 6 years. I had a work opportunity that took me to Sydney for 6 years and then Melbourne for 2 years. I met my partner whilst on a conference at Jupiter’s and then moved here in 2001- 22 years ago! I have led an incredible life on the Gold Coast, full of opportunities and experiences for which I am incredibly grateful.

What do you love the most about the Gold Coast?
I love everything about the Gold Coast! The smell of the ocean breeze and the easy lifestyle makes me feel happy when I come home. Our community is quite unique when you consider the many organisations and generous individuals who assist the growing cohort who are doing it tough with the cost of living crisis. That generosity of spirit makes me very proud to represent the heart of the Gold Coast.

Tell us a bit about yourself.
I come from a low socio-economic background. My family are three generations of factory workers and my mother was an immigrant from the UK in 1957. I went to public school and was first in my family to finish high school. I won a Rotary scholarship to Denmark in 1986 and lived and studied there for 12 months. It was the great opportunity that changed the direction of my life. That’s why I am so passionate about delivering opportunities that make a difference for young people. I attended the Adelaide Elder Conservatorium of music studying saxophones and voice, and enjoyed a 35 year career as a pro muso whilst working in sales, marketing and business development for decades at the same time and I wrote a book to help small businesses improve their retail model and rebranding. I joined the LNP aged 45 and was elected aged 51 and re-elected in 2019. I love sausage dogs and Peter Alexander PJs, jazz, blues and wineries!

What are some of the key issues that you are passionate about and hope to address during your time in office?
There’s so many areas I have worked on since coming to office including supporting charities and community groups, sporting clubs, and the arts. I have assisted small business, tourism and manufacturing through the 2020 and 2021 Reimagine Gold Coast Jobs, Skills and Industry forums, which I convened as Chair of the City Heart Taskforce. I have always been invested in improving and championing economic security for women and programs for youth that change lives through greater opportunities. Many women can be left with nothing after relationship breakdowns later in their life and often they don’t have any savings or superannuation because they have cared for the family for decades and not necessarily been involved in family finance. It is a growing issue that makes fleeing family and domestic violence that much harder and it breaks my heart to see women and children living in cars. I think there could be a more flexible superannuation regime where women could opt to contribute to their own super when they have financial windfalls during their lives and then draw down their own money if they need it to buy a house or secure accommodation.

I have been a big supporter of the flexible independent school model of education that MOB Academy in Southport has to ‘build better men’ through their programs for disaffected youth who often don’t have positive male role models to draw on. MOB shows the boys a positive way forward and delivers opportunities for them to develop and grow through tailored programs that engage and nurture them. I recently delivered the inaugural Gold Coast IMPACT Youth Summit at Sea World Resort that enabled new opportunities for 179 young Gold Coasters aged 15-24.

What do you see as the biggest challenges facing your constituency, and how do you plan to tackle them?
The biggest problem right now is the cost of living crisis facing Australians and the Gold Coast is among the worst affected regions. Power bills are going up 25% for families and 29% for business. A regular family is around $25,000 worse off in the last year. The Federal Government’s latest big spending Budget has forced interest rates to go even higher for mortgage holders who are struggling with repayments. The Government should have reined in spending so that the economy slows and interest rates come down, instead they are pouring money into the economy that makes it harder for everyone as inflation continues to be out of control.

How do you plan to advocate for the interests and concerns of your constituents at the regional or national level?
I meet with constituents in my office and I visit community groups, schools, sporting clubs across the electorate regularly. I also meet with my Moncrieff Community Cabinet from across faith groups and not-for-profit organisations and the Gold Coast Youth Cabinet, so I know what’s important to our community at any given time. I have also recently undertaken ‘Moncrieff’s Biggest Survey’ which I sent to every household. There’s a pile of responses a mile high in my office that we are working through! It’s a great way to know what people think about many different topics. I write letters to all levels of government on behalf of constituents and advocate in Canberra for the needs of our electorate on matters affecting us here on the Coast.

What do you think the Liberal Party needs to do to get more Gold Coasters on board?
The Gold Coast is an aspirational city that has been built through the blood, sweat and tears of entrepreneurs and the boom and bust of real estate cycles. Iconic families who take risks to employ people in order to develop and grow all understand the value of being rewarded for their efforts through keeping more of what they earn so they can make the choices they wish for themselves and their families. These are timeless Liberal values and that’s what Gold Coasters have always embraced. We are undertaking work on policies that assist women and young people to get ahead such as allowing jobseekers, pension card holders and veterans to earn more and women over 55 to access their super for a home.

What are your Gold Coast favourites…
Café/coffee spot: I love the way that new cafes have popped up since Covid and that young entrepreneurs are small business owners. I’m so pleased that the next generation are putting their stamp on their cafés and service styles. Sparrow at Nobby’s make a great double shot oat milk latte and Piccolo at Miami is a long time fav!
Restaurant: We love our local restaurants! Everywhere from Main Beach to Highland Park you can find great food and wine on offer. I do love Japanese and Italian as my favourite cuisines.
Bar or place for a drink: I love to pop in to Northcliffe, Kurrawa or Mermaid Surf Club on the way home for an ice cold tap beer and a chat with the locals. Nothing like it!
Beach: I love a short ocean swim in the morning at Miami or Nth Burleigh or a paddle board if it’s flat. I have tried to surf for decades but I’m not very good, so I’m choosy about when and where I go.

How do you choose to spend your days off?
Days off are special. My partner and I like a relaxing bike ride along the esplanade and brekkie afterwards. We love to go to the beach or play with our grandkids on the weekends. We enjoy a long lunch and a Netflix binge! I think that’s a hangover from Covid that we just keep doing. We are watching ‘The Diplomat’ at the moment.