ˌɔn hɪz ɹᵻtˈɜːn tʊ ɔːstɹˈeɪliə, tˈænɚ dʒˈɔɪnd ðɪ ˈeɪ.ˈɛm. mˌæɡɐzˈiːn æz ɐn ˈɪləstɹˌeɪɾɚ bᵻfˌoːɹ ɹᵻtˈɜːnɪŋ tə ðə dˈeɪli tˈɛlᵻɡɹˌæf ænd sˈʌndeɪ tˈɛlᵻɡɹˌæf, wˌɛɹ hiː hæd hɪz fˈɜːst ɐsˈaɪnmənt æz ɐ pəlˈɪɾɪkəl kɑːɹtˈuːnɪst.
On his return to Australia, Tanner joined the A.M. Magazine as an illustrator before returning to The Daily Telegraph and Sunday Telegraph, where he had his first assignment as a political cartoonist.