Independent raises stakes in 2025 federal election battle for Forrest

ABC NEWS (Australia)

For the first time in half a century there's a heated contest in the West Australian electorate of Forrest with the seat being targeted by a Climate 200-backed Independent. Forrest has been a safe Liberal seat since the early 1970's but with the long-serving MP retiring at this election challengers from all political persuasions are lining up to take over.

Transcript

00:00After the success of the Teal independence spread to Western Australia at the last federal

00:08election, Keybacker Climate 200 is expanding its net, supporting Sue Chapman in the blue

00:14ribbon seat of Forrest.

00:16We have all sorts of t-shirts of varying sizes.

00:19The South West base surgeon believes voters are ready for a change.

00:24I genuinely think that this beautiful part of the world has been ignored for way too

00:30long.

00:31The seat includes Margaret River and Bunbury in WA South West.

00:35Liberal campaign ads confirm there's significant concern.

00:38Dr Chapman rejects the Teal label.

00:41I have been labelled a Labor stooge, a Liberal plant, an extreme green and part of a Teal

00:48party and all of that is incorrect.

00:51The Liberal candidate Ben Small says he isn't taking votes for granted.

00:55The cost of living is front of mind for most people.

00:58He's defended the campaign against the independent challenger.

01:01You oppose important infrastructure investments where you can't give a straight answer on something

01:07like the Geograph Bay wind farm and where you do have that history of activism.

01:13That does look and sound radical to me.

01:16The seat of Forrest has historically been a safe Liberal seat but at the last election

01:20it turned marginal.

01:22Now that the local Liberal member has retired, Dr Chapman isn't the only one hoping to change

01:26the minds of voters.

01:27It's been 17 years with the with Nola Marino in and everyone loves Nola Marino and I really

01:33respect her and what she's done for the community.

01:36But I think that this is the moment to have that change.

01:39Labor's result in WA at the 2022 election has turned this seat into a tight contest.

01:44The fact that it's reduced down over a fairly short period of time makes that seat vulnerable.

01:50One of our favourite subjects guys.

01:51A competition that could benefit the voters of Forrest one way or another.

01:56After that, wait a minute.

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