Dan Tehan was born with a political pedigree.

His mother Marie was health minister in the Kennett state government, his father Jim was vice-president of the country Liberal Party and heavily involved in the Victorian Farmers Federation. His paternal grandfather, also named Jim, was fundamental in helping establish the National Farmers’ Federation. 

Liberal politics was free-flowing in the Tehan farmhouse near Mansfield, in Victoria’s high country. 

“I guess you learn it by osmosis,” Dan Tehan said this week. 

“Growing up there was a lot of farm politics discussed around the kitchen table and there is a strong background in agri-politics on my father’s side. 

“In those days it was mostly centred around starting the live export trade and the wide comb shearing dispute.” 

It was those discussions and attending a rally in Shepparton where the former head of the National Farmers’ Federation Ian McLaughlin spoke about economic reform that sparked Mr Tehan’s political interests. 

“I remember hearing him speak and I became fascinated by what he was saying. 

“It’s stuck with me more than anything.” 

Surprisingly, despite his mother’s high profile role in helping reform Victoria’s health system, Mr Tehan said he never considered standing for election until later. 

“I was at university and working for the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade during that period,” he said. 

“I did a little bit of volunteer work for her, but I never really saw first-hand what she was doing and involved in.”

It wasn’t until 2002 when he was seconded from his role in the diplomatic service to a job with then Trade Minister Mark Vaile that Mr Tehan thought about seeking office. 

“Working in his office in Parliament House, I got a first-hand look at what an MP did. I started to think, I could do this.” 

Fast-forward 14 years and Mr Tehan is the newest member of Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull’s front bench. 

He was sworn in as Minister for Defence Materiels and as Minister for Veteran’s Affairs at Canberra’s Government House on Thursday. 

It’s been a somewhat rapid rise for the MP, who was first elected as Wannon MP in 2010 and began his career as a diplomat. 

He was posted to Mexico City, taking responsibility for Central America and Cuba. 

“It’s a great honour to represent your country overseas.

“I remember being sent to Cuba to build up contacts over there. 

“I met with the US human rights officer and we went out for a meal, we were followed by Cuban intelligence officials, we managed to lose them in the car on the way to the restaurant, but five minutes later they showed up and sat at the table next to us and basically just stared at us. 

“As we left, they were leaning on the car in an intimidating manner as we went to get in, but they stepped aside as we went to get in. 

“The US human rights officer said it just goes to show the Aussies don’t really rate over here.” 

Between 2002 and 2007 he was seconded to Mark Vaile, and later Fran Bailey’s office. 

When the Howard government was turfed from office in 2007 Mr Tehan returned to Victoria, taking a role at the Liberal Party’s Victorian headquarters. 

In 2009, when former Member for Wannon and speaker of the house David Hawker announced his retirement, Mr Tehan’s political future began to take shape. 

Former Victorian premier and South West Coast MP Denis Napthine worked closely with Mr Tehan’s mother and often spent weekends at the Tehan farm. 

“Even as a young man you could see he was a person who was compassionate, caring, intelligent and somebody who really was interested in the welfare of others,” Dr Napthine said. 

“Dan has got Jim’s way with people and his mother’s gift for policy and commitment to making the community a better place. He’s a great mix of their capabilities.” 

When Wannon became vacant, Dr Napthine made contact with Mr Tehan, who was then deputy state director of the Liberal Party. He encouraged him to nominate for pre-selection. 

Two other south-west Liberal party stalwarts, Warrnambool’s Jim Dwyer and Hamilton’s Michael Stewart, also made approaches and in a few weeks Mr Tehan was in the south-west sounding out his options. 

“I thought he was a natural fit for a rural seat like Wannon and I thought he would be the sort of candidate that would give local pre-selectors a real choice,” Dr Napthine said. 

“I’ve always been a strong supporter of local candidates for local seats, but I felt the pre-selectors deserved to have a range of candidates who weren’t just going to be great local candidates, but had the potential to be ministers and leaders in the future.

“He had a great background in rural and regional issues, a great background in the Liberal Party and politics and great academic qualifications as well as experience in the diplomatic service. 

“I thought he had an enormous range of skills and ability.”

Mr Tehan spent two weeks travelling the 33,854 square-kilometre electorate talking to his future constituents and testing his chances of pre-selection. 

“I was going to have to resign from my job, so there had to be a reasonable chance of success,” he said. 

“The thing that everyone kept saying was ‘you’re from the country, you understand the country’. The overwhelming message was as long as you can demonstrate your strong country roots you’ve got a good chance.

“I thought it would be a wonderful area to represent and I put my hand up.” 

He beat nine other candidates to be pre-selected, going on to claim victory in the August 2010 poll with 56.7 per cent of the two-candidate preferred vote. 

Over the past six years, Mr Tehan has built a profile in the corridors of Parliament House. He’s chaired the Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security since 2014. 

He made front page headlines suggesting the base of the GST be broadened and said Australia should become involved in air strikes on Syria. 

He also advised on tougher citizenship laws for those convicted of terror offences and lobbied for a 20 per cent renewable energy target. 

“The work on the Intelligence and Security committee for the last two years has enabled me to build a profile which I think is important,” he said. 

“The elevation into the ministry is a great honour, but one you can’t have unless your electorate puts faith in you. I’m very fortunate the electorate has seen fit to elect me twice now.” 

Dr Napthine said it was no surprise Mr Tehan was promoted relatively early in his political career. 

“I always thought he was an extremely talented person, he is a really hard-working local member first and foremost, which is a basis for any success in politics,” he said. 

“He’s a person who listens and fights for the local community, but he has that broad range of knowledge and skills that make him really well equipped to be an effective minister.” 

Mr Tehan is looking forward to taking his seat on the frontbench and speaking from the dispatch box for the first time when Parliament resumes on Monday. 

“It’s going to be a huge thrill,” he said. 

“To go to the dispatch box for the first time will be nerve-wracking but very exciting.”