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ABC News
04-05-2025
- Politics
- ABC News
Fremantle and Bullwinkel the two seats to watch in Western Australia post-election
As counting in Western Australia continues, everything has come down to two seats that are neck-and-neck — Fremantle and Bullwinkel. Unlike 2022, WA won't determine the outcome of the election — that is done and dusted — but both seats give unique insight into what voters were thinking about. As election night drew to a close, there were five seats yet to be resolved. Voters elected Kate Chaney to a second term in parliament. ( ABC News: Jake Sturmer ) But as Sunday morning unfolded in the west, it was confirmed the seat of Curtin would remain in the hands of teal independent Kate Chaney after she fended off close competition from Liberal candidate Tom White. The seat, which encompasses Perth's affluent western coastal suburbs, was taken off the Liberals in 2022 for only the second time in its long history. Ben Small is taking over from Liberal retiring MP Nola Marino. ( ABC News: Kate Forrester ) The seat of Forrest, which encompasses most of WA's South West region, was also decided on Sunday afternoon for the Liberals' Ben Small, who took over from retiring MP Nola Marino. But the big surprise was electrician-turned-lawyer Tom French snatching the northern Perth coastal seat of Moore for Labor from the Liberals. In fact, Labor's primary vote increased across key seats many thought were in play this election. But whether Moore will be an overall gain in representation for the ALP in the west comes down to what happens in the two seats left down to the wire. Fremantle The federal seat of Fremantle was historically a safe Labor seat, held by a pantheon of famous Labor names including John Curtin and Kim Beazley Sr. Kate Hulett is proving to be a challenge for Labor's hopes in Fremantle. ( ABC News: Courtney Withers ) That is until Climate-200 backed independent and Fremantle businesswoman Kate Hulett came onto the scene, firstly at the state election just two months ago, when she almost defeated a Labor minister. On election night, Labor's Josh Wilson looked set to soar through based on first preference votes – but that has drastically changed with preferences kicking in and boosting Ms Hulett's considerable vote, which was much higher than her Liberal challenger. Labor incumbent Josh Wilson is hoping for a fourth term as the member for Fremantle. ( ABC News: Courtney Withers ) As of Monday morning, Ms Hulett was leading by just a handful of votes. Bullwinkel Meanwhile, across the other side of the city, another story is playing out in the seat of Bullwinkel — the only new electorate added this election. Bullwinkel encompasses farming towns, the luscious Perth hills communities and the Perth metropolitan urban fringe. The three-way race in Bullwinkel is now down to two, with Labor's Trish Cook against the Liberal candidate. ( ABC News: Courtney Withers ) It was touted as a three-way tie between the Liberals Matt Moran, Labor's Trish Cook and the Nationals Mia Davies, who is a former leader of her state party. Photo shows A mural of two sheep painted on a brick wall. The three-way contest for Bullwinkel — Australia's newest electorate — is shaping up as a fiercely fought battle. But it was clear on election night Ms Davies wasn't going to make it, and preferences have put Mr Moran and Ms Cook neck and neck. As of Monday morning, Labor was ever so slightly ahead, but with an overall swing to the Liberals. "As a midwife, I'm used to waiting," Ms Cook quipped. The heat is being felt on the other side too. "I've done a fair few things in my life and I can tell you this has been the toughest,' Mr Moran said. Labor celebrates Despite those two races, there was certainly a lot for Labor to celebrate in the west. Leading the party's celebrations in Perth on Sunday morning was a jubilant Madeleine King, the resources minister. "It's a remarkable day … what a great gang it is," she said. The party was also stoked to fend off a key seat in Perth's south the Liberals were vying for, the marginal seat of Tangney, held by dolphin trainer-turned MP Sam Lim. Results so far show Labor increasing its primary vote in Tangney by 4.9 per cent — with a cumulative swing from 2022 and 2025 now at 15 per cent. Other seats some predicted were in play this election — Hasluck and Pearce — stayed in Labor's hands, with only slight swings to the Liberals recorded in Pearce and a swing to Labor in Hasluck. Andrew Hastie — touted to be a potential future leader in the Liberals — convincingly held his seat and increased his margin to 4.7 per cent. Madeleine King is the only Labor cabinet minister from WA. ( ABC News: Lauren Smith ) Given the state's influence, Ms King — who is the sole WA representative in cabinet — thinks its high time another West Aussie joined her. "There should be more of us in cabinet," she said. With those results, she'll be arguing she has a compelling case. Read more about the federal election: Want even more? Here's where you can find all our 2025 Catch the latest interviews and in-depth coverage on Loading
West Australian
04-05-2025
- Politics
- West Australian
Federal election 2025: Liberal Tom White concedes victory to sitting teal independent Kate Chaney in Curtin
The Liberal candidate for Curtin, Tom White, has conceded victory to sitting teal independent Kate Chaney. Mr White refused to concede on election night, claiming the seat was too close to call, but on Sunday morning took to Instagram to step aside for Ms Chaney. 'I have just called Kate Chaney to concede the election in Curtin and to congratulate her on a well-deserved victory,' he wrote 'Kate and I have many differences but this is not the time to dwell on them. 'She has been an impressive and formidable opponent. I admire her team and the sincerity they have brought to the campaign, even when we've disagreed strongly. 'Defeat stings but it's much less painful than the permanent, dull ache of wondering what might have been had I never tried. 'I have no regrets.' With 76 per cent of the vote counted, Ms Chaney had secured 53.3 per cent of the two-part-preferred count. The Climate 200-backed independent went into the election with a 1.3 per cent margin after winning the seat in 2022 as part of the so-called 'teal wave'. It ended the Coalition's 23-year stranglehold on a seat that was once among its safest. The result comes as another blow for the Liberals, who lost the election and their Opposition leader, with Peter Dutton unable to secure his own seat of Dickson in Queensland. In regional WA, the party fared well with incumbent Melissa Price retaining Durack and Rick Wilson holding onto the O'Connor electorate for a fifth term.
ABC News
03-05-2025
- Politics
- ABC News
Here's what you should know before you vote in the 2025 federal election in WA
You can't blame West Australians for waking up with a sense of deja-vu this morning, as we prepare to vote in our second election in just eight weeks. Those who haven't already voted, that is, either by post or at a pre-poll station — and more than 400,000 of us have taken that option. In March, we voted to re-elect Labor to government in WA, with Premier Roger Cook winning a comfortable majority. This time it's the federal election and the fate of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, also Labor, is on the line. Where can I vote? If you haven't visited a pre-polling station or lodged a postal vote, today is the day. Polling stations will close at 6pm WST. ( Supplied: WA Electoral Commission ) You can find out where there's a polling station near you Polling stations open at 8am and close at 6pm . Do I need ID to vote? No. You just need to give your full name and address to the polling official who issues the ballot papers once you're asked. You'll also be asked if you've already voted in the election. Will WA votes matter? Western Australia's votes were crucial in propelling Anthony Albanese into the Lodge in 2022, with Labor picking up four seats from the Liberals. WA's emphatic support of Labor at the 2022 election handed Anthony Albanese the keys to The Lodge. ( Supplied: AlboMP Facebook Page ) It was a momentous election in which five of WA's then 15 federal seats changed hands . The Liberals lost all of them, the remaining one falling to teal independent Kate Chaney in Curtin. Kate Chaney holds the seat of Curtin by a slim margin. ( ABC News: Keane Bourke ) Whether WA's votes will have the same impact this time round depends on how the numbers are falling in the other states and territories, where polls close up to two hours earlier than ours. While Labor has emerged as a narrow favourite to win, some polls are predicting a minority government — and WA's votes could once again prove crucial. The 2025 election explained: What are the seats to watch? There are several seats that could change hands. Both Kate Chaney in Curtin and Sam Lim (ALP) in Tangney won on preferences last time on slim margins. Chaney holds a 1.3 per cent margin while Lim has a 2.8 per cent buffer. Labor's Sam Lim won the previously safe Liberal seat of Tangney at the 2022 election. ( ABC News: Courtney Withers ) Chaney is facing off against Liberal hopeful and former Uber executive Tom White, while Lim's main competitor is Liberal Howarg Ong. Election essentials: Find out where your Moore is the Liberals' most marginal seat, held by just 0.9 per cent, and here's where it gets interesting. Incumbent Ian Goodenough failed to win preselection for the party and is now running as an independent candidate against Liberal hopeful and former MP Vince Connelly. The new seat of Bullwinkel is notionally Labor, but with its complicated mix of Wheatbelt farmers and suburban families, it's hard to know who will prevail. Former Nationals WA leader Mia Davies is vying for the seat against the Liberals' Matt Moran and Labor's Trish Cook Former Nationals WA leader Mia Davies is running for the seat of Bullwinkel . ( ABC News: Matt Roberts ) And outer suburban Pearce is another seat to watch, encompassing a number of areas that saw big swings against Labor at the recent state election. Our electorates are HUGE WA is divided into 16 electorates — two GINORMOUS ones, and the 14 much smaller ones centred in the Perth metro and South-West Durack is by far the biggest constituency in Australia, covering a land mass of nearly 1.4 million square kilometres, and it takes up 54 per cent of the state. The Kalumburu community in northern Western Australia is part of the vast Durack electorate. ( ABC News: Erin Parke ) It covers the entire north-west of the state, from the outer metropolitan fringe at Bullsbrook, all the way through to the northern tip of the state. O'Connor is the other huge electorate and it's also more than a million square kilometres in area, stretching from the far northern Goldfields and remote desert communities of the Ngaanyatjarra Lands, through to tranquil Nannup and Bridgetown in the South-West. Read more about the federal election: Want even more? Here's where you can find all our 2025 Catch the latest interviews and in-depth coverage on When will we know the election result? That's a difficult question to answer. In some years, the result has been known before we've even finished voting in the west, thanks to that two-hour time difference with the east coast. That seems unlikely this time, and if it's closer than expected, the make-up of a potentially minority government could take days to determine. Having trouble seeing this form? Try Loading
West Australian
02-05-2025
- Business
- West Australian
Federal election 2025: Liberal hopes could rest on One Nation preference in WA as voters abandon major parties
Preferences could decide a swag of key election battles in WA, with a new opinion poll revealing Pauline Hanson's One Nation could be the big winner as voters abandon both major parties. Labor's primary vote has slipped 2.8 per cent and the Liberal vote is down 3.8 per cent, according to the Demos AU poll that detected a 7.1 per cent surge to give One Nation 11 per cent of first preferences. That could help the Liberal party in key seats including Curtin, after a nationwide preference swap Labor has seized on. 'Peter Dutton has sold out principles for political gain,' WA Minister Madeleine King said. 'It's up to him to explain his actions to the Australian people. He has let himself and the Liberal party down.' Teal MP Kate Chaney has accused the Liberals of 'trickery' over a nationwide preference swap in 139 seats including Curtin, Brand and Fremantle. But the Liberal party has preferenced the Australian Christians second in other key WA seats, including Tangney and Pearce. One Nation WA Leader Rod Caddies, who will take up one of two Legislative Council seats won by the party at the recent State election, said the party has its sights set on the Senate and handing the Prime Ministership to Mr Dutton would be a welcome bonus. 'I guess it's a win for Australia if you're a conservative,' he said. 'I definitely think we're a good chance for a Senate seat. One Nation hasn't been present in WA, strong enough, over the last four years to realistically feel we can win the lower house seats. 'It's never impossible, however, you've got to be realistic. If we can increase our vote majorly, that's a step in the right direction.' One Nation's lead Senate candidate in WA is millionaire civil construction businessmen Tyron Whitten who, if successful, could ruin the Liberal party's chances of a third WA Senate seat. When asked if that was a sacrifice he was willing to make to win Curtin, Mr Dutton ignored the question. Mr Caddies listed income splitting for tax purposes and reducing alcohol excise as the party's policy priorities. 'We don't want to see people just drinking more, but we want to see them socialising more,' he said. 'We need to help the restaurants and bars and get people back out.' Mr Dutton avoided any mention of One Nation or Pauline Hanson when pressed on the preference swap in Myaree on Friday, instead turning the focus on Labor deals. 'It's about outcomes at the election,' he said. 'The outcome of the election that would be the worst for WA would be an Albanese-Bandt government, because it would mean Nature Positive which the Prime Minister won't look West Australians in the eye and tell them what it means. 'And don't forget that the teal Kate Chaney is working in lockstep with the Labor party. The Labor party is running soft in Curtin to support somebody that they know is a fellow traveller. Kate Chaney would support a Labor-Greens government and that would be bad for WA.' The Greens vote increased 2.5 per cent to 15 per cent, according to the Demos AU poll. The Liberal party is targeting Curtin, Bullwinkel, Tangney and Pearce in it's bid to claw back ground in WA after being turfed out by voters in five seats in 2022. The Demos AU poll of 4,100 voters released on Friday made for grim reading in Liberal HQ, with both major parties suffering a slump in support but Labor retain a nationwide edge, 52 to 48 per cent, when preferences were counted. Labor was even further ahead, 56 to 44 per cent two-party preferred, in WA. Anthony Albanese was ahead of Mr Dutton in the preferred PM stakes, 46 per cent to 34 per cent. But Mr Dutton received 43 per cent support from One Nation voters.
The Age
02-05-2025
- Politics
- The Age
Optimism is the name of the game, but can the teals cause further upset in WA?
They're flushed with Climate 200 cash and inundated with hundreds of eager volunteers hoping to help take advantage of growing disillusionment with the major parties. But this election, the teal independent challenge goes far beyond the traditional inner-city blue-ribbon upset that saw Kate Chaney voted into power in 2022. In Forrest, surgeon Sue Chapman is trying to take advantage of the retirement of long-time MP Nola Marino to pry the South West seat the Liberal Party, which has held it since 1972. In Fremantle, Kate Hulett is hoping to carry over her surprise near-win at the state election to the federal seat of the same name in a bid to unseat Labor's Josh Wilson. In Moore, the presence of psychologist and former army reservist Nathan Barton could jumble preference flows further as Liberal Vince Connelly tries to win the seat back from incumbent Liberal-turned-independent Ian Goodenough. Hulett, Chaney and Chapman were all 'optimistic' about their chances on election night. Redbridge director and poll analyst Kos Samaras said that optimism wasn't misplaced, but it was likely only one of them that will be celebrating on Saturday night. 'They're seats to watch just to see how big that vote is, but I don't think they will have the same momentum that Chaney had in Curtin,' he said.
