This is Dan Tehan’s maiden speech to the House of Representatives as the Liberal member for Wannon.
An electorate in south-western Victoria, Wannon is a Federation seat that includes towns such as Warrnambool, Ararat, Hamilton, Maryborough, Portland and Terang.
Tehan won 57.29% of the two-party-preferred vote. He succeeded David Hawker, who held the seat since 1983. Hawker succeeded the former prime minister, Malcolm Fraser, who held Wannon from 1955 until 1983.
Tehan, 42, worked in the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade between 1995 and 1998. He was diplomat between 1999 and 2001, before becoming an adviser to Minister for Trade and the Deputy Prime Minister. He was Chief of Staff to the Minister for Small Business and Tourism in 2006-07. He was Deputy State Director of the Victorian Liberal Party in 2008-09.