Lex Bell

Lex Bell OAM
Member of theQueensland Legislative Assembly forSurfers Paradise
In office 5 May 2001 – 7 February 2004
Preceded by	Rob Borbidge
Succeeded by	John-Paul Langbroek
Personal details
Born	Alexander James Douglas Bell (1945-07-13)13 July 1945 Brisbane,Queensland,Australia
Political party	Independent
Alma mater	Bond University,University of Queensland
Occupation	Solicitor

Alexander James Douglas "Lex" BellOAM(born 13 July 1945) is an Australian politician. Born inBrisbane,he received aMaster of LawsfromBond Universityand aBachelor of Lawfrom theUniversity of Queenslandbefore becoming a solicitor of theSupreme Court of Queensland.He was also onGold Coast City Councilfrom 1985–2001, including a period as mayor 1988–1994. He was also a chancellor with theAnglican Catholic Church.

On 20 March 2001, formerNational PartyPremier and member forSurfers ParadiseRob Borbidgeresigned from theLegislative Assembly of Queensland.Bell contested the resulting by-election as anindependent.Due to voter anger at going back to the polls for the second time in three months, the National vote collapsed to eight percent, and Bell was elected with 58 percent of the two-candidate preferred vote. He held the seat until the2004 state election,when he finished third on the primary vote, allowing hisLiberalchallenger in 2001,John-Paul Langbroek,to win the seat. Mr Bell announced in late 2011 he would contest his former council seat of Division 7 in Surfers Paradise which he regained on 28 April 2012.