WA Nationals select candidate for key election battleground seat

The WA Nationals have selected Manjimup farmer Bevan Eatts as its candidate for the seat of Warren-Blackwood, a key target for the Opposition party after losing it in 2021. Mr Eatts is a third-generation farmer, former president of the Manjimup Chamber of Commerce and current chairman of the Southern Forests Food Council. He ran on the Nationals’ 2017 Legislative Council ticket in the South West electorate but was unsuccessful after holding an unwinnable third spot on the party’s ticket. The electorate of Warren-Blackwood looms as one of the Nationals’ most sought after targets in 2025 after losing the previously safe seat at the last election. Despite the buffer, Labor candidate Jane Kelsbie rode a wave of support for former Premier Mark McGowan during the COVID pandemic to match four-term MLA Terry Redman’s primary vote and secure a 14 per cent final swing to win the seat. Ms Kelsbie was strong at the electorate’s two largest polling places — Denmark Recreation Centre and Margaret River Senior High School — while Mr Redman was strongest at most of the polling places on the east side of the electorate. The former chief executive of Worklink WA also outperformed her Nationals counterpart in early votes. Talking exclusively to the South Western Times last month, WA Nationals leader Shane Love said he was confident they’d have a strong candidate for a winnable seat. “We never take anything for granted but this is a seat (Warren-Blackwood) I believe is ready for a Nationals member again and we will be doing our utmost to ensure that the community understands what the National Party stands for,” he said. “We’re very confident we’ll have a strong candidate in Warren-Blackwood. “By the end of March that member will be hitting the ground and getting to know everybody throughout the very diverse electorate that is Warren-Blackwood and getting the message across that the Nationals are back in town and that we want your support to be able to support you in the future.” Speaking at the announcement of the party’s candidates for Warren-Blackwood and Geraldton, Nationals’ State president Julie Freeman said Mr Eatts was a familiar leader for the region. “Bevan’s local knowledge and involvement in the business community, and the agricultural and horticultural sectors in Warren-Blackwood has seen him emerge as a local leader in the region,” Ms Freeman said. “Bevan has also played a key role in helping to stand up for businesses and families who were let down by the Labor Government’s snap decision to shut the timber industry.”