Angie Bell confident Morrison government will win election
LNP candidate for the Gold Coast seat of Moncrieff Angie Bell insists Scott Morrison can defy the pundits and pull off an election triumph against Bill Shorten. And a new poll suggest she might be right.
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MONCRIEFF LNP candidate Angie Bell is confident she will not be facing the worst possible celebration on election night — becoming a new MP but her party immediately sent to the opposition benches.
The Bulletin in an exclusive interview with the candidate most likely to be the Gold Coast’s newest MP, asked whether she was concerned that she would be a winner on election night when her party most likely could be a loser.
“I don’t think that the federal government will be on the opposition benches,” Ms Bell replied.
“I really truly believe that Scott Morrison is doing a fantastic job, he’s passionate, he’s warm, he’s intelligent, he knows what he’s talking about, unlike Bill Shorten who doesn’t and has none of those properties.
“We’re very confident the Morrison Government will get across the line this election.”
The latest Newspoll shows popular support for Labor has fallen to its lowest level since Scott Morrison became Prime Minister in August last year.
The two-party preferred vote remains unchanged at 51-49 in Labor’s favour to win the May 18 election. Ms Bell, 51, enters the Moncrieff race with a 14.6 per cent margin.
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Ms Bell in a wide-ranging interview has talked about meeting with retiring MP Steve Ciobo, the branch discussion about her personal life and what drove her into politics after creating a successful business profile.
“I haven’t been looking at the margin as such,” she told The Bulletin.
“What I’ve been looking at is the challenge of meeting over 177,000 people who live in Moncrieff in the next few weeks.”
“It will be disastrous for business on the Gold Coast if Bill Shorten gets in. I’ve worked as a consultant in small business, worked as a small business development manager across the country, I have a wide understanding of that,” she added.
THE ANGIE BELL INTERVIEW
ANGIE BELL, 51 year-old business Adviser and author, as the LNP candidate in the safe Gold Coast of Moncrieff is the city’s most likely next MP. She talks politics and the personal life in her first major interview.
Bulletin: You’ve had a very successful business career — completed a masters at Griffith University, in the top five per cent of students, you’ve given retail advice to major retail chains like Myer, written a book. Why would you put your head up in the political spotlight?
AB: It was never my intention to go into politics when in business, but I think business provided a very wide variety of skills and I was exposed to Tony Abbott and his Cabinet at an event and I was really inspired by the way they wanted to make Australia a better place. I think from that moment I thought I could make a difference for the people I was representing.
Bulletin: Was that on the Gold Coast or down south.
AB: That was in Canberra where I was lucky enough to attend a function, that was Joe Hockey’s delivery of his budget. I met a number of Ministers, I was inspired by them.
Bulletin: I read where Joe Hockey read your book, he gave it a tick.
AB: Joe Hockey actually did endorse my book. When I met him I was writing that book for small business as part of my masters at Griffith — which I haven’t finished yet, I’ve had to defer again for the preselection. So I still have two subjects to go for the Masters of Marketing.
Bulletin: So you’ve been with LNP for more than five years now, the Leader for LNP Women.
AB: Six years. Vice president for LNP women for one year and then I was women’s president for year and a half.
Bulletin: Did you believe from that, that you would have some strong support (for preselection).
AB: In the last State election I spent a lot of time on the Gold Coast and around the state supporting women which was my job. I supported seventeen women candidates. But I also supported the local state members here — so I’m quite well known in the party on the Coast and statewide.
Bulletin: You received no public notices in the media during the preselection battle, those mentioned were high profile Councillor Cameron Caldwell, retiring Steve Ciobo’s staffer Karly Abbott, Bibe Roadley. How confident were you, you weren’t being given the media attention?
AB: I think the most important thing is to work hard and get the job done, and that’s why I’m here. The candidate field was huge and varied and very high quality, also number of those people were my friends — Fran Ward was also in the line-up as very high quality businesswoman. I was just confident the people of Moncrieff would pick the right candidate on the day. And as it turned out they chose me. I would have supported any one of those candidates.
Bulletin: You ultimately win by two votes. Immediately after the preselection, The Bulletin from LNP sources contacting the newspaper talked about your private life, and that you were gay. Then there was this debate going on in the Moncrieff branch for several days. In fact we had LNP members contacting us saying what a plus for the party, what a plus for the Gold Coast that we have a candidate who is gay. You are a very private person, but how did you handle these sort of personal details during the preselection and how will you handle them moving forward?
AB: Well to be honest I wasn’t really aware of what was going on, because I was focused on understanding my new role as a candidate and getting across the campaign and pulling all that together, that was a very important time in those first few weeks after winning the preselection. I think my personal life is kind of irrelevant to the role, in that it’s never been something that defines who I am. There are far more interesting things about me than my relationship. I’m in a long and loving relationship with my partner of nearly 18 years. We have four beautiful stepchildren and two grandsons, that bring much, much joy. I think the people of Moncrieff and people of Australia understand that is only a small part of my life. My business life is far more relevant, my experience in many countries across the world, many other experiences that life has brought me is far more relevant to the role than my relationship.
Bulletin: Given the LNP has had quite a debate about same sex marriage — in fact Tony Abbott was one of the most high profile campaigners against marriage equality — how going forward will you handle the personal and the political? Do you very much separate that.
AB: It’s like any job, isn’t it. When you go to work you leave your personal life at home. I don’t see it any different to that. That is plebiscite that has been voted on, Australia has decided to go with marriage equality. That was then, this is now, we are moving forward onto the future. And my plan if elected represent the people of Moncrieff as best I can.
Bulletin: What advice or support has Steve Ciobo given you before he packed up his office?
AB: We met, Steven and I met the day after the preselection, and we did a feature for The Bulletin as you would be aware — thanks for the lovely photo — we talked about a number of issues in Moncrieff and way to move forward. We put together the campaign team, since that haven’t looked back.
Bulletin: Some political commentators say that given his resignation, he had high personal profile, the margin in Moncrieff is 14.6 per cent — they say it is likely it will be reduced. Have you set your own any personal goal about how you want to maintain that margin.
AB: I haven’t been looking at the margin as such. What I’ve been looking at is the challenge of meeting over 177,000 people who live in Moncrieff in the next few weeks. That’s what I’ve been doing, with road siding, out at markets in Nerang, I’ve been doorknocking at Boonaroo Park, I’ve been at pre-poll every day. I’ve been getting lots of toots and smiles back, there’s been a positive reaction.
Bulletin: Your election brochure shows you standing by a lifeguard tower. You’ve got a bronze medallion and are a member of Mermaid Beach lifesaving club. How long have you been a local.
AB: Seventeen years on the Gold Coast. Mermaid Waters, Mermaid Beach and now I live in Miami.
Bulletin: Your electorate takes up the midriff of the Coast, The Spit to Miami, west to Nerang. You’ve been mixing it with the battlers out here, some traditional Labor areas. What feedback are you getting from them.
AB: People want to be heard and they want to be listened to. I promised at the preselection and since then that I would listen to the people of Moncrieff. Some are state issues — about bus routes, a lot have to walk to Nerang railway station. That’s the failure of the (State) Labor Government.
Bulletin: One of your constituents said to me today: Federal politics is always about national issues, not local issues. I want to know what Angie Bell can do for my electorate on the Gold Coast. What is she prepared to go down to Canberra and fight for. That issue might not be the flavour of the month say with the party or the government, but what will she fight for that’s Gold Coast.
AB: I’ll fight for Moncrieff. I’ll make sure that we get our fair share of funding for the upgrades that we need in this electorate if I’m elected. Obviously connectivity with infrastructure is really important to the airport, to tourism as well. Upgrades to local sporting facilities.
Bulletin: Your view on light rail going south to Coolangatta.
AB: We need connectivity to the airport. As a modern city with the growth that is projected, we really need to have that.
Bulletin: In terms of the economy, what’s important here, how do you see it evolving.
AB: Small business is very important for our economy, we have over 60,000 small businesses on the Gold Coast if those small business don’t have an opportunity to pay lower taxes, and apply for their asset right offs — it will be disastrous for business on the Gold Coast if Bill Shorten gets in. That’s my background, I’ve worked as a consultant in small business, worked as a small business development manager across the country, I have a wide understanding of that.
Bulletin: Are you concerned that while you might be a winner on election night your party may be a loser, and you are on the Opposition benches.
AB: I don’t think that the federal government will be on the opposition benches. I really truly believe that Scott Morrison is doing a fantastic job, he’s passionate, he’s warm, he’s intelligent, he knows what he’s talking about, unlike Bill Shorten who doesn’t, and has none of those properties. We’re very confident the Morrison Government will get across the line this election.
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