ANDREW Broad has one overarching goal for his term in the House of Representatives: "I just want to deliver good government."
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The Mildura man, 38, became the Member for Mallee on Tuesday after the Liberals' Chris Crewther conceded defeat.
People will come to know him during the next three years, based on the way he represents the electorate.
"I have not made any promises I have not intended to deliver on," Mr Broad said.
It is a personal journey, stretching from Bridgewater pastures to international skies, which Mr Broad said he would draw on to shape the Mallee's future.
His parents own a farm in Bridgewater on Loddon, in the neighbouring federal electorate of Murray.
It is the town where Mr Broad, then 22, bought his first farm.
He has two sisters, both of whom are teachers.
"My eldest sister, Lynne, is a primary school teacher; my youngest sister, Janelle, is a high school teacher," he said.
During the six years after he graduated from VCE, at the age of 18, Mr Broad studied farming, worked as a shearer, volunteered with the Salvation Army and played guitar in a band called Allergic Reaction.
"Our band released two CDs and went on tour in New Zealand," he said.
He was playing guitar at a camp in Marysville on February 8, 1997, when he met his future wife Rachel, who is originally from Donald.
She was studying occupational therapy at Charles Sturt University in Albury-Wodonga.
Mr Broad said he drove eight hours most weekends to see her.
The couple married three years later.
The first years of their marriage were some of the most difficult financially on the farm.
"In 2002 there was a roaring drought," Mr Broad said.
"We had huge interest and land repayments and not a lot of income."
But by 2005, Mr Broad had purchased another farming property, joined the Victorian Farmers Federation, started share farming and developed an interest in canola production.
His businesses were financially secure despite the challenging weather conditions.
"It was character building," he said.
Not long afterwards, Mr Broad was awarded a Nuffield Australia Farming Scholarship, which he likened to an agricultural Rhodes Scholarship.
"It took me on some extensive travels," he said.
From 2006 onwards, Mr Broad visited every continent except Antarctica.
"That was the first time I had to confront running a business and not being there all the time," he said.
"It was the best training I've had."
From 2009 to 2012, Mr Broad was president of the Victorian Farmers Federation.
"I was the youngest ever president, at 33," he said.
He said his three-year term started with a financial challenge and finished with a surplus.
"The organisation was going to be insolvent within two years when I took it on," Mr Broad said.
He said the VFF posted a loss of about $5.174 million in 2008, the year before he was elected.
"I had never worked in an office before, and never had to chair a board. Morale within the organisation was low," he said.
He took a pay cut, drove an old car and even froze his staff's pay to turn the financial situation around.
"In a strange way, I don't feel all that different now from how I felt at the Victorian Farmers Federation," Mr Broad said.
"Essentially, my job is almost quasi-lobbying."
Mr Broad said he was experienced in dealing with all sides of politics and would do so to get the best result for the seat of Mallee.
He also promised not to stand for bad policy.
"If it's not in the best interests of the country, I'm not going to stand there and say it's great," Mr Broad said.
"All I can do is promise to do my best."