John Curtin Research Centre Ushers in an Exciting Era with  New Chair and Board Members

Australia’s premier labour movement thinktank is pleased to announce the appointment of a new Chairperson, Sam Almaliki, and a stellar array of a new board members as it ushers in a new phase of policy research and advocacy and leadership development.

Mr Almaliki said: “I am humbled to take on this role as a former refugee, product of public housing and education, founder and director of many start-ups and long-time Australian Labor Party member.” It is an immense honour to take the reins of the John Curtin Research Centre and renew its seven-year-old mission of making Australia a better, fairer place for all, as well as maintaining the enormous legacy of our nation’s greatest Prime Minister, John Curtin. I am particularly passionate about the JCRC’s ongoing role in investing in and inspiring future leaders. With a revitalised board reflecting the broad tent that is the Labor movement, we are set to have our biggest year yet.

In announcing our new board, we also express our heartfelt appreciation to past immediate chairperson Dr Henry Pinksier and former Secretary Adam Slonim for their significant contribution to the thinktank over the years. We wish them well in their future endeavours.” 

We are also excited  to welcome onboard our six new board members – Fletcher Adam Priya Brown, Lewis Hamilton, Stacey Schinnerl, Kosmos Samaras and Sebastian Zwalf – who are drawn from across the full expanse of Australia. The JCRC’s new board members, a mixture of new and emerging leaders, bring an extraordinary depth and breadth to the thinktank’s leadership circle, from the worlds of for-profit and not-for-profit business, advertising and marketing, trade unionism, Labor politics and the law. They join long serving board members and labour movement leaders, SDA National Secretary Gerard Dwyer, renowned  constitutional lawyer Dr Shireen Morris and Townsville Mayor Jenny Hill. 

The work of the JCRC continues to be carried out by our Executive Director Dr Nick Dyrenfurth, one of Australia’s leading public intellectuals, who has led the JCRC from its foundation, directing its research and advocacy, building its profile and making a major public policy impact. Nick is supported by our Deputy Director and Chief Economist Dr Dominic Meagher who specialises in climate change, democratic integrity and the security of Australia’s region.

Shortly after John Curtin led the ALP to its greatest ever election victory in August 1943 he declared: “A new world is being created today by the terrific struggle in which we are engaged … better than the one we knew, with its recurring wars, grievous sacrifices, economic depression and widespread want.” Fuelled by the idealism and zeal of Curtin’s bold vision for Australia, the renewed Board of the John Curtin Research Centre confidently looks towards an exciting future full of new, impactful research, advocacy and events.