Ros Bates

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. Recently, Bates served as a Government and Media consultant.

Bates was awarded the Prime Minister's Centenary of Federation Medal (2001), the Royal Australian College of Nursing's Distinguished Service Award (Qld Division), and she was awarded the Telstra Business Woman of the Year (AusIndustry category) in 2000,

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. After a series of damaging incidents involving her, her son and her former business, plus health issues including a serious shoulder infection and sustaining fractured vertebrae, Bates resigned as Minister on 15 February 2013

Before the election of the Newman government Bates served in the Liberal National Party opposition as the Shadow Minister for Government Services, Building Industry and Information and Communication Technology from April 2011 to April 2012.

Member for Mudgeeraba

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

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. Bates campaigns on popular issues, 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."

Bates first stood as the Liberal candidate for the seat in 2006 and was narrowly defeated.

Controversies

Bates was accused of plagiarising a speech to parliament by a Labor opponent despite having been present when the speech was initially made.

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. 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. This included perks such as a car park being awarded to her son whose position traditionally doesn't receive an inner city car park. It was also revealed that her son had worked previously in similar positions in NSW and Victoria under Liberal and Labor Governments.

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.

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. 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. On 19 October 2013 the Queensland Parliament's ethics committee decided "there is evidence former minister Ros Bates misled the House, but has concluded that she did not intend to do so."