New South Wales

Drew Simmons
NSW Membership Director

Drew was born and raised in the outback of New South Wales in the town of Brewarrina.

Both sides of Drew's family were sheep and cattle graziers. In his teens the family moved to Bowral on the Southern Highlands where he completed his HSC at Bowral High School and a journalism cadetship with the Highlands Post Newspaper.

Drew currently reside in the Inner West of Sydney with his partner Andy, where he has been for over 20 years. Politically, Drew considers himself a Centre Progressive and has had previous involvement with the State Division of the Australian Democrats in the early part of the last decade, where he held the position of State President for two years. Drew was the Democrats candidate for the seat of Heffron in the 2012 By-election after the resignation of former NSW Premier, Kristina Keneally. Drew believes Australia and New South Wales could and should be a world leader in so many areas of politics, society, equality, education, economics and engagement.

Drew also considers himself a lean, mean ideas machine, a die-hard South Sydney Rabbitohs supporter, a tennis fanatic and a Jack of All Trades and Master of None.

Emilia Leonetti
NSW Communications Director

Emilia joined Australian Progressives in early 2015 after looking for a viable political alternative to the major parties for some years. She was intrigued by the Progressives’ ethical, evidence-based approach to policy and its desire to achieve an empathetic disruption to an often cold-hearted system.

She previously represented the Progressives’ sister party, Keep Sydney Open, in the seat of Balmian during the March 2019 NSW State Election.

Emilia is currently proud to be on the Steering Committee for the NSW Progressives and it ready to help make vital changes to the system.

Robert Carne
Lay Member

Robert Carne is an actor, director and acting coach based in Sydney, NSW. Currently Robert teaches classes for institutions such as C3 College, the Sydney Theatre School and the National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA). Robert also has three feature films in development.

Robert highly values the rights and well being of all people and is committed to fighting against the greed and corruption that has plagued our political system for far too long. A system that has thrown us into an environmental crisis and a political landscape that values money over people.

Robert was attracted to the Australian Progressives by its core values of putting people first. He found it refreshing to talk with genuine people whose values align with his own and who are willing to fight against a corrupt political system and offer a real progressive alternative to current status quo. Inspired by the American progressive giant, Bernie Sanders, Robert hopes that his contribution may help, in some small way, herald in a new era of political policies, driven by honesty and integrity, in our government.

Corey Allen
National Executive Liaison
State Secretary

Corey is a Sydney University Graduate, an amateur Psephologist, and an Australian political history wonk. Born in Bankstown, and raised in the town of Mumbil, near Dubbo, Corey's politics are defined by a belief in equality of opportunity for all Australians.

Corey joined the Progressives in 2017 and is a true believer in the values the party upholds. Appointed to the party's National Interim Steering Committee in order to facilitate the party's AEC Membership Audit, Corey became the party's Membership Director, a role he held until 2021. Corey is the party's incumbent National Vice President and Federal Campaigns Director. In November, Corey was appointed to manage the Progressives' Campaign in the 2017 Bennelong By-Election. In 2018, Corey was elected to the National Executive as a General Executive. Alongside his duties as Vice President, Corey was appointed to manage the Australian Progressives 2019 Federal Election Campaign, the Canberra Progressives 2020 Election Campaign and the next Australian Progressives Federal Election Campaign.

Corey is serving as the State Secretary and the National Executive Liaison on the State Interim Steering Committee.