| Forde |
Division of Forrest | Fowler |
 Nola Marino (Lib) Her Liberal Party website |  |
Location: Southern WA: Bunbury, Bussleton, Collie, Harvey Division named for: Rt Hon Sir John Forrest, explorer, first Premier of Western Australia and member of the first federal Parliament Median weekly family income: $847 (100th highest) Persons born in non English speaking countries: 4.4% (121st highest) Persons in professional occupations: 22.5% (105th highest) Persons aged 65 and over: 10.9% (109th highest) Couple families with dependent children: 39.4% (56th highest) Dwellings being purchased: 30.1% (46th highest) Sitting member: Nola Marino (Liberal), elected 2007 Born 18 February 1954, Harvey, WA. Small business owner. 1996 two-party majority: Liberal 13.6 Effect of 1998 redistribution: 00.5 shift to Liberal 1998 two-party majority: Liberal 06.9 Effect of 2001 redistribution: 02.3 shift to Labor 2001 two-party majority: Liberal 07.6 2004 two-party majority: Liberal 10.4 2007 two-party majority: Liberal 05.8 
2004 enrolment: 87,145 2007 enrolment: 93,678 (+07.5%) Forrest was created in 1922, occupying the rural south-western corner of WA, whose largest centre is Bunbury. Although this is still an important agricultural area, tourism is becoming an increasingly important industry, employing 5.9% of the workforce. Forrest has the typical characteristics of a rural seat: low median income level, low level of people from non English speaking countries and low proportion of people in professional occupations. Forrest has a usually been a safe seat for the non-Labor parties: Labor has only won it three times, most recently in 1969. Before 1949 it usually a Country Party seat but the Nationals are no longer a serious threat to Liberal dominance. Members for Forrest have included Labor Cabinet minister Nelson Lemmon and Liberal Cabinet minister Gordon Freeth. Geoff Prosser won the seat for the Liberals in 1987 and held it until his retirement in 2007. He was succeeded by Nola Marino, a prominent local businesswoman. The 4.6% swing against the Liberals was fairly modest following the retirement of a long-serving member. The Liberals polled 79% of the two-party vote at Yoongarillup and also topped 70% at Acton Park, Alexandra Bridge, Carbunup River, Elgin, Vasse and Yornup, and won all the booths in Bunbury and Bussleton. Labor polled more than 65% at all four booths in Collie, but won only a few other booths. | | 
Two-party vote by booth, 2007
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