Angie Bell: Talking about firsts from tenor sax player to gay MP in maiden speech

The city’s newest Federal MP has delivered a heartfelt and revealing maiden speech.

GOLD Coast MP Angie Bell has spoken about the inspiration and support of her female partner and promised to fight against discrimination for all minorities, in a heartfelt maiden speech to Federal Parliament.

The new Moncrieff MP has also vowed to be a strong lobbyist for health research, touching on the pain of losing her mother, Barb, to cancer.

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Angie Bell after winning her Gold Coast seat. Picture Glenn Hampson.

Her “vision” was for the Gold Coast to become “the premier domestic destination and to improve the international numbers to our city so that small business thrives, so that families flourish”.

Admitting “it’s time to talk about firsts”, Ms Bell revealed jazz legend Don Burrows, a good friend, told her at 14 that she was the first young woman to be playing the tenor saxophone in high schools.

“He inspired me to dream of great heights,” she said.

As a professional musician, she would travel the world for 35 years and when not performing by day build a national business consultancy.

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Angie Bell celebrates her victory in the seat of Moncrieff with her partner Ros Franklin.

“It’s true that I am also the first openly gay woman in a major political party in this place,” Ms Bell said.

“While I do not consider this my highest achievement to date — nor my defining quality — I appreciate that for many in the community and in the party, it is indeed a special milestone.”

Ms Bell said she would stand with the LGBTIQ community and other minority groups to celebrate diversity.

“I am proud that my partner and I have built a wonderful life together over the last 18 years. I thank Ros, here today, for her two decades of inspiration, unwavering support, and frankly … patience,” she said.

Angie Bell celebrates her victory in the seat of Moncrieff with her campaign manager Ros Bates.

“It’s largely due to her dedication and enthusiasm as a teacher and a university lecturer in education, sport and health, and the contribution her PhD body of work made for gaining equal pay for women in sport, that I myself was inspired into lifelong learning and consequently find myself in this place.

“She is a wonderful mother, grandmother and supportive partner — and golfer by the way. I’m proud of our family with her four adult children and our two beautiful grandsons.”

Ms Bell said she hoped that her presence in the Parliament would remind people that there was no place in Australia for discrimination.

“I hope that my presence in this place reminds young people and all Australians that sexual preference is not barrier to career aspirations or life goals. You can do anything in Australia. We have a great country that offers so much opportunity,” she said.

Ms Bell’s father Roger, an aviator and artist, was in the gallery, having visited the Australian War Memorial to remember uncles who had fought in wars, one as a Light Horseman, the other a Rat of Tobruk. Her older sister, Cher, 54, was with him.

Mudgeeraba MP and State Liberal frontbencher Ros Bates along with Southport MP Rob Molhoek and Bonney MP Sam O’Connor also watched from the gallery.

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Moncrieff LNP candidate Angie Bell at a polling booth on the Gold Coast.

Ms Bell admitted MPs have a great responsibility to put their community first and served residents well when they used their “collective life experience”.

“As a young woman in my twenties, the personal experience of losing my mother to cancer was a difficult time for my family, the pain imprinted in our hearts forever,” she said.

She reflected on her mum being 51, her age now as she embarked on her life’s most challenging chapter.

“As part of my service in this place, I hope to have some input towards the advancement of cancer cures and the growth and success of the health and knowledge precinct at Griffith University,” she said.

“I will also advocate for all those in my electorate and across our country living with homelessness, domestic violence, drug and alcohol challenges, child sexual abuse, mental health and eating disorders. These are all are problems that people don’t want to talk about but that touch so many Australians.”

Ms Bell had “taken care” to choose the right policy committees to best help her constituents — Health, Aged Care and Sport, Foreign Affairs, Trade, Tourism and Disabilities.

She recalled how her inspiration to become a politician began during a visit in a year when she began studying Economics 101 and had met Fadden MP Stuart Robert.

“My journey began in this place, as his guest,” she said.

“On that day, I experienced a great inspiration and a great aspiration unfolded.

“I met a number of ministers whose dedication to the country stirred something deep inside me. Their passion to improve the lives of Australians touched me so profoundly that I dared to believe that a girl like me, from humble beginnings, could and should try to make a difference alongside them.”