Ros Bates

Ros Bates is the Minister for Science, IT and Innovation and the Arts and your CanDo Member for Mudgeeraba.

Ros’ personal motto is “Never give up, Never give in”. This has helped Ros forge a career of 30 years of health experience -  as a Registered General Nurse and the former General Manager and Director of Nursing of the Wesley Gold Coast Hospital.

Ros has been awarded the Royal Australian College of Nursing’s Distinguished Services Award, the Prime Minister’s Centenary of Federation Medal for Distinguished Services to the Australian Community in Health, and she is a former winner of the Queensland Telstra Businesswoman of the Year Award (AusIndustry).

More recently as a successful businesswoman, Ros was instrumental in gaining funding allocated to the Federal Government’s Life Saving Drugs Program.  Many families throughout Australia who suffer from rare and fatal genetic disorders have received treatment through this program, previously not available to them.

Growing up in the Victorian country town of Healesville allowed Ros to understand and appreciate the importance of close knit communities.  Her mother was a school teacher and her father was a third generation dairy farmer who instilled in their three girls (all of whom are nurses) the importance of honesty and integrity.

Ros is a proud mother of three children - Ben (24), Greg (22), and Jill (20).

Ros was the Liberal Candidate for the seat of Mudgeeraba at the 2006 Queensland State election, and was narrowly defeated.  This loss allowed Ros the chance to take a step back, refocus and go forward with renewed determination to represent the long neglected electorate of Mudgeeraba.

In 2006, Ros founded the Mudgeeraba Action Group to highlight the issues and needs of the Mudgeeraba area that were being ignored by the State Labor Government.

A strong campaign outlining the many neglected areas in the Mudgeeraba electorate, saw residents in agreement and Ros was duly elected as the Member for Mudgeeraba in the Queensland State election held on the 21st of March 2009.

Ros has always been a vocal advocate for health issues and particularly the future of nursing.  In her maiden speech, Ros vowed to represent nurses in Parliament

"I am particularly delighted that I will be able to provide to this place that vocal and credible representation that nurses are so rightly demanding. I will ensure that this most trusted and dedicated profession gets the acknowledgement it deserves."

Electorate Contacts