Patricia Gill, Denmark Bulletin
Rick Wilson looks sure to be returned to his seat for the fourth time in the Federal Election on Saturday.
Katanning farmer Mr Wilson won the seat at the last election in 2022 with 44.8 per cent of the vote and a 2.2 per cent swing in his favour.
He originally won the seat in 2013 from the National Party’s Tony Crook who did not re-contest.
Mr Wilson will be fifth on the ballot paper with Labor’s Darren Moir sixth. Greens’ veteran Giz Watson is second and Heidi Tempra from the Nationals third.
Trumpet of Patriots, Legalise Cannabis, One Nation and Australian Christians occupy the other places.
A boundary redistribution has slightly weakened Mr Wilson’s hold on the seat which has gained Donnybrook-Balingup from Forrest in the South West.
Beverley shire has become part of the new seat of Bullwinkel and some Wheatbelt shires between Cunderin and Merredin and north to Mt Marshall to Durack have been lost to O’Connor.
O’Connor is the WA’s second largest electorate behind Durack, third largest in Australia behind Lingiari in the Northern Territory and at 1,093,790sqkm is bigger than South Australia.
Mr Wilson has lived in Albany since 2015 and is assistant opposition spokesperson for trade.
Ms Tempra has lived in the South West for the past 30 years.
A teacher, she lives on a farm outside Manjimup.
Mr Moir is a fifth generation grain farmer from Amelup.
This article appeared in Denmark Bulletin, 1 May 2025.