His mother was a schoolteacher and taught in a number of small towns in northern Tasmania, including Myrtle Park, Westbury and Ringarooma.
He began working for Senator Norm Sanders as a research officer and also stood unsuccessfully at the 1989 state election.
Following Sanders' resignation, Bell was appointed to the casual vacancy on 10 April 1990 prior to the start of his statutory term on 1 July 1990.
[1] In parliament, Bell "spoke frequently in the Senate on conservation issues, especially regarding forestry and old-growth trees" and was "especially fierce in opposition to clear-felling and woodchipping".
His campaign for re-election was framed as a contest against Australian Greens candidate Bob Brown for Tasmania's sixth seat.
[1] Bell died on 6 September 2001, aged 51, after suffering a fatal heart attack while driving between Wollongong and Port Kembla, New South Wales.