Federal Parliament · House of Representatives
Ben Small
Member for Forrest · Liberal Party · WA
Shadow Assistant Minister for Electoral Matters · since 17 Feb 2026Shadow Assistant Minister for Infrastructure · since 17 Feb 2026
First preferences
31.2%
31,011 votes · -11.9 pts swing
After preferences
52.2%
Against Tabitha Dowding (Labor)
Winning margin
2.2 pts
A marginal seat
How Forrest voted · 2025 federal election
Bar colours show each candidate's party.
First preferences
How Forrest voted · 2025 federal election, first preferences
Tabitha Dowding (ALP)22,423 votes,22.6%swing −5.0
Sue Chapman (IND)18,206 votes,18.3%swing +18.3
Paul Van Der Mey (ONP)8,670 votes,8.7%swing +3.5
Georgia Beardman (GRN)7,840 votes,7.9%swing −5.6
Aaron Peet (LC)5,131 votes,5.2%swing +5.2
Cam Parsons (NAT)4,771 votes,4.8%swing +4.8
Peter Greenland (TP)1,405 votes,1.4%swing +0.2
Bars show each candidate's share of formal first-preference votes on a 0–100% scale. Swing is the change in share, in percentage points, as published by the AEC.
After preferences (two-candidate preferred)
52.2%47.8%
The vertical line marks 50%.
Margin 2.2 pts (Liberal): marginal by the AEC's thresholds (under 6 points marginal, 6–10 fairly safe, over 10 safe). This describes this result, not a forecast.
Results as a table
| Candidate | Party | Votes | First pref. | Swing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ben Small | Liberal | 31,011 | 31.18% | -11.9 pts |
| Tabitha Dowding | Australian Labor Party | 22,423 | 22.55% | -5.0 pts |
| Sue Chapman | Independent | 18,206 | 18.31% | +18.3 pts |
| Paul Van Der Mey | Pauline Hanson's One Nation | 8,670 | 8.72% | +3.5 pts |
| Georgia Beardman | The Greens (WA) Inc | 7,840 | 7.88% | -5.6 pts |
| Aaron Peet | Legalise Cannabis Party | 5,131 | 5.16% | +5.2 pts |
| Cam Parsons | The Nationals | 4,771 | 4.80% | +4.8 pts |
| Peter Greenland | Trumpet of Patriots | 1,405 | 1.41% | +0.2 pts |
Source: Australian Electoral Commission