Who We Are
Our Executive Director
Emma Dawson is one of Australia’s leading public policy architects and political thinkers.
An ALP member for almost three decades, Emma was educated at La Trobe and Monash Universities, and has worked as a senior Ministerial Adviser, researcher, public affairs executive and non-profit leader over her career.
From 2016 to 2025, Emma was the Executive Director of the independent public policy think tank Per Capita, of which she was a co-founder in the mid-2000s. She has published reports and articles on a wide range of public policy issues and has particular interests in economic inequality and social justice, gender equality, public interest media and labour rights.
Emma is a regular contributor to policy and political analysis through the Australian mainstream media and has appeared as an expert witness before parliamentary inquiries. She is a sought-after speaker at public events and conferences in Australia and internationally.
Emma is the co-editor, with Professor Janet McCalman, of the collection of essays What happens next? Reconstructing Australia after COVID-19, published by Melbourne University Press in September 2020. She is a Fellow of the Women’s Leadership Institute of Australia, an Adjunct Professor at the UTS Business School and sits on the boards of the Council of Single Mothers and their Children and EveryAge Counts.
Research Associate
Sarah McKenzie is a Research Associate at the Chifley Research Centre. 
She was previously Per Capita’s Acting Executive Director and, before that, its Director of Policy and Research, overseeing a wide research agenda spanning industrial relations, social justice, and economic policy. Her work has consistently focused on improving outcomes for working people and ensuring that public policy serves the common good.
Sarah’s career in advocacy began with roles at the Victorian Trades Hall Council and the Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance, where she championed the rights and welfare of Australian workers.
She also serves as a councillor, and previously, the Deputy Mayor of Yarra City Council, working with colleagues to guide decision making, support strategic priorities, and advocate for the community she represents.
Sarah holds a Bachelor of Laws with Honours from Victoria University.
Our Board
Tim Dixon
Tim Dixon is currently based in London and is a co-founder of More in Common, which works across the US, UK, France and Germany to counter the threats of polarization and far-right populism. Tim has led social change projects in more than 20 countries. He trained as an economist and tech sector lawyer, worked as economic adviser and chief speechwriter for Prime Ministers Kevin Rudd and Julia Gillard, is the co-author of Australia’s leading economics textbook and built a leading Australian educational publishing business that was bought by Pearson in 2004.
Tim has founded initiatives that have engaged millions of people in social movements. Prior to More in Common Tim co-founded creative agency Purpose Europe; The Syria Campaign; the Jo Cox Foundation in the UK; and Movilizatorio in Colombia.
Laura Fraser Hardy
Laura Fraser Hardy is the Chief of Staff to the Queensland Attorney-General Until February 2018, Laura was a Senior Associate at Hall Payne Lawyers. During her ten years at Hall Payne Lawyers, Laura worked predominantly in employment/industrial relations, discrimination law and disciplinary law.
Laura is an member of the ALP and was the federal candidate for Bonner in the 2013 and 2016 federal elections. Laura has been on the National Committee of EMILY’s List, and was previously the Queensland Labor Women’s Network President.
Sabina Husic
Sabina Husic is the Public Policy Lead for Data and Privacy at TikTok Australia and New Zealand. An experienced public policy and communications strategist, Sabina has shaped political, media and digital campaigns that have engaged millions. She is a highly respected advisor on media and digital strategy, crisis management, targeted campaigning, public affairs and stakeholder relations.
She has held senior advisory roles in government and opposition across federal and state politics, including as Director of Media and Digital to Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews, Deputy Chief of Staff to Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese, Director of Communications to Premier Kristina Keneally, and Media Advisor to Premier Nathan Rees. Sabina also worked as General Manager of Media and Communications at Basketball Australia and Chief of Staff at the Australian Workers Union.
George Simon
George Simon is a committed unionist and Labor party member with nearly two decades of experience in political campaigning, supporter engagement and government relations.
Since 2019, he has been the NSW Labor Assistant General Secretary and has helped guide the branch through a comprehensive reform of governance and organisational culture. George has played a broad range of roles in the across the Australian labour movement including most recently as the Communications Director for the Australian Manufacturing Workers’ Union.
He has a Bachelor of Economics (Political Economy) from the University of Sydney.
Chloe Bennett
Chloe Bennett is a Director at KCB Mason, a strategic advisory firm.
Chloe spent six years working for Anthony Albanese, most recently as Governance Director and previously as Deputy Director of Policy – leading work across policy, legal, Cabinet, and Parliament. She was Campaign Policy Director for Labor’s 2025 Federal Election, and in the 2022 campaign she was the policy adviser travelling with the leader.
Before working for the Prime Minister, Chloe was Deputy Chief of Staff and Policy Director to the NSW Opposition Leader and an Adviser to Prime Minister Kevin Rudd.
She holds a Master of Laws (Global Health Law) from Georgetown University, and a Bachelor of Arts (Hons) and Bachelor of Laws (Hons) from the University of Sydney.
