Dan Tehan

Daniel Thomas Tehan (TEE-an; born 27 January 1968) is an Australian politician who is the Manager of Opposition Business in the House. He has been the member of parliament (MP) for the Victorian division of Wannon since 2010.

Tehan previously held various ministerial positions in the Coalition governments under Malcolm Turnbull and Scott Morrison from 2016 to 2022. He was a member of the Dutton shadow ministry from 2022 to 2025. He was a public servant and political advisor before entering parliament.

Daniel Thomas Tehan was born on 27 January 1968 in Melbourne, the third of six children born to Jim and Marie Tehan (née O'Brien). His mother was elected to the Parliament of Victoria in 1987 and served as a state government minister, while his father was a country vice-president of the Liberal Party of Australia (Victorian Division). Tehan grew up on the family's farming property near Mansfield, Victoria. His paternal grandfather Jim Tehan helped establish the National Farmers' Federation. His mother and aunt both died of Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease.

Tehan attended a Catholic primary school and a public high school in country Victoria before completing his secondary education as a boarder at Xavier College, Melbourne. He holds the degrees of Bachelor of Arts (Hons.) from the University of Melbourne, Master of Foreign Affairs and Trade from Monash University, and Master of International Relations from the University of Kent in England.

Tehan worked with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade from 1995 to 1998 and then was a member of the diplomatic service from 1999 to 2001. He was posted to Mexico City and was also involved with Central America and Cuba. In 2002 he was seconded to the office of Trade Minister Mark Vaile, where he was involved in negotiations on the Australia–United States Free Trade Agreement in 2004.

When Vaile became deputy prime minister in 2005 Tehan remained with him as a senior adviser. He later served as chief of staff to Fran Bailey, the Minister for Small Business and Tourism. After the defeat of the Howard government, he served as director of trade policy and international affairs with the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (2007–2008) and deputy state director of the Liberal Party in Victoria (2008–2009).

While still working in Mexico, Tehan sought preselection for the Liberal Party at the 2001 Australian federal election in the Division of Indi. Sophie Panopoulos was ultimately selected as the Liberal candidate.

Tehan was elected to the House of Representatives at the 2010 federal election, succeeding David Hawker in the Division of Wannon. He was encouraged to run for Liberal preselection by Denis Napthine, a family friend, and beat nine other candidates in the ballot despite his lack of prior connections with the area. He and his family moved to Hamilton in order to live in the electorate.