Ros Bates
MP
Shadow Minister for Health and Ambulance Services
Assumed office
15 December 2017
LeaderDeb Frecklington
David Crisafulli
Preceded byJohn-Paul Langbroek
Shadow Minister for Women
Assumed office
26 May 2016
LeaderTim Nicholls
Deb Frecklington
David Crisafulli
Shadow Minister for Communities, Child Safety, Disability Services and the Prevention of Family and Domestic Violence
In office
6 May 2016 – 15 December 2017
LeaderTim Nicholls
Preceded byTracy Davis
Succeeded byChristian Rowan (Communities and Disability Services)
Stephen Bennett (Child Safety and the Prevention of Family and Domestic Violence)
Minister for Science, Information Technology, Innovation and the Arts
of Queensland
In office
3 April 2012 – 15 February 2013
PremierCampbell Newman
Preceded bySimon Finn
Succeeded byIan Walker
Shadow Minister for Government Services, Building Industry, Information and Communication Technology
In office
11 April 2011 – 19 February 2012
LeaderCampbell Newman
Preceded byScott Emerson
Succeeded byBill Byrne
Member of the Queensland Parliament
for Mudgeeraba
Assumed office
21 March 2009
Preceded byDianne Reilly
Personal details
Born
Rosslyn Mary Bates

(1962-05-25) 25 May 1962
Healesville, Victoria
Political partyLiberal National Party
ResidenceReedy Creek, Queensland
ProfessionBusinesswoman[1]
Websiterosbates.com.au/

Rosslyn Mary Bates (born 25 May 1962) is an Australian politician. Bates has been a Liberal National Party member of the Parliament of Queensland since March 2009, representing the electorate of Mudgeeraba.

Early career

Prior to entering politics, Bates spent 29 years in the health profession. Starting her career as a nurse in both the public and private sector, she became the general manager and director of nursing at the Wesley Gold Coast Hospital.[2]

Bates was awarded the Prime Minister's Centenary of Federation Medal (2001) and the Telstra Business Woman of the Year (AusIndustry category) in 2000.[3][4]

Political career

In April 2012, Bates was appointed the Minister for Science, Information Technology, Innovation and the Arts as part of Campbell Newman's first Cabinet.[5]

After a series of health issues including a serious shoulder infection and sustaining fractured vertebrae, Bates resigned as Minister on 15 February 2013[6]

Member for Mudgeeraba

Bates with supporters at the 2012 Mudgeeraba Show.

Bates was first elected as the Member for Mudgeeraba in March 2009 after defeating the incumbent Labor Member Dianne Reilly.[7] Bates was re-elected in March 2012 with an increased majority.[8]

As the incoming Member for Mudgeeraba, Bates said she would fight to ensure the Southport Hospital was retained as an operational facility when the new University Hospital opens at Parklands in 2012.[9] Bates campaigns on popular issues,[10] saying "issues such as the overhead power lines in Reedy Creek, the Elysium Road overpass and stopping that closure, [are] all very resounding issues in the electorate."[10]

Bates first stood as the Liberal candidate for the seat in 2006 but was defeated.[11]

Controversies

In 2012, Ros Bates' son, Ben Gommers, was at the centre of a scandal accusing him of being improperly appointed to a high paying public servant position. The media questioned the relationship between Ms Bates and the relevant minister under whom her son was employed.[12]

Questions were referred to Ms Bates regarding this relationship and what, if any, influence she had regarding her appointment, however it was later revealed that she did not have any input into the appointment of her son.[13] This included perks such as a car park being awarded to her son whose position traditionally doesn't receive an inner city car park.[14] It was also revealed that her son had worked previously in similar positions in NSW and Victoria under Liberal and Labor Governments.[15]

As the Minister for Information Technology it was reported Bates attended a dinner with several lobbyist firms that was excluded from her official contact register. Tabled documents from the Integrity Commissioner exonerated Bates in relation to this matter as the function was in her capacity as a Minister.[16]

It was later revealed that Bates had attended a dinner with several lobbyist firms and failed to report this and it was also excluded from her official contact register. This led to calls for her removal as minister. Bates announced her resignation from the Cabinet on 15 February 2013 citing health and family reasons. Previously, Bates had undergone intensive high dose antibiotic therapy through a catheter threaded directly into her heart for six weeks due to a shoulder infection.[17]

In June 2013 Bates was accused of misleading parliament and breaching the national health practitioner law by falsely claiming to be a registered nurse despite allowing her registration to lapse, despite previously being a registered nurse for 30 years.[18] AHPRA, the body overseeing the national health practitioner laws concluded that Bates did not intend to provide misleading information and consider the matter to be closed.[19] AHPRA placed conditions on Bate's registration as a nurse restricting her from having direct contact with any patients stating “The practitioner will not undertake any roles requiring direct or indirect clinical patient contact unless approval to do so by the board or its delegate.”[20]

On 19 October 2013 the Queensland Parliament's ethics committee concluded that Bates did not intend to deliberately mislead the Parliament."[21]

References

  1. ↑ "Broadband a key LNP election issue for Queensland". Chris Griffith, The Australian. Retrieved 24 June 2012.
  2. ↑ "Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Mudgeeraba 2009 Queensland Election". Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
  3. ↑ "BATES, Rosslyn Mary". It's an Honour. Australian Government. Archived from the original on 8 January 2018. Retrieved 8 January 2018.
  4. ↑ "Home page". Best of Business Awards. Retrieved 13 May 2023.
  5. ↑ "Newman anoints his team". Koren Helbig, The Courier-Mail. Retrieved 20 June 2012.
  6. ↑ "Minister Ros Bates resigns as Premier Newman says she's been under "intense pressure", 15 February 2013". Queensland Parliament. Retrieved 15 February 2013.
  7. ↑ "LNP snatches Mudgeeraba from ALP". Charmaine Kane, ABC. 23 March 2009. Retrieved 20 June 2012.
  8. ↑ "Cheers and tears in wake of Annamosity", Gold Coast Bulletin, 26 March 2012
  9. ↑ "LNP snatches Mudgeeraba from ALP". ABC News. 23 March 2009.
  10. 1 2 "Labor loses Mudgeeraba on Gold Coast". ABC News. 21 March 2009.
  11. ↑ "Di wins her poll tussle", Gold Coast Sun, 13 September 2006
  12. ↑ "Job for minister's son as others lose out". Retrieved 26 October 2017.
  13. ↑ "Gold Coast Bulletin". Gold Coast Bulletin. Retrieved 26 October 2017.
  14. ↑ "MP's son scored top role despite freeze". Retrieved 26 October 2017.
  15. ↑ "Gommers not just 'the boy from Toys R Us'". Retrieved 26 October 2017.
  16. ↑ "Tabled Papers Queensland Parliament" (PDF).
  17. ↑ "Premier reveals details of Bates' illness". Retrieved 26 October 2017.
  18. ↑ Exminister Ros Bates In Trouble For Falsely Claiming To Be A Registered Nurse The Courier Mail
  19. ↑ "Speech by Ros Bates" (PDF). parliament.qld.gov.au. Retrieved 13 May 2023.
  20. ↑ "MP: 'I wasn't moonlighting as nurse'". The Courier Mail. (subscription required)
  21. ↑ "Former arts minister misled Parliament 'by mistake'". ABC News. 17 October 2013. Retrieved 26 October 2017.
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