Land of Mates and Favours

Richard Denniss is Chief Economist at the Australia Institute. He writes regularly for publications including The Monthly, The Canberra Times and Australian Financial Review. His books include Curing Affluenza, Econobabble and (as co-author) Affluenza.

Cameron Murray is a research fellow in the Henry Halloran Trust at the University of Sydney. He specialises in property markets, resource and environmental economics, and corruption. He is the author of Game of Mates: How Favours Bleed the Nation.

Marian Wilkinson is regarded as one of the most distinguished journalists in Australia. A member of the Australian Media Hall of Fame, Marian was a pioneer in the resurgence of Australian investigative journalism and has worked as a senior reporter for organisations including The Sydney Morning Herald and Four Corners. She was a co-author with David Marr of Dark Victory and the author of The Fixer: The Untold Story of Graham Richardson. Her most recent book is The Carbon Club.

Michael West spent two decades working as a journalist, stockbroker, editor and finance commentator before striking out on his own in July 2016. After eight years as a commentator with The Australian and another eight years with the Sydney Morning Herald as a journalist and editor, Michael founded website michaelwest.com.au to focus on journalism of high public interest. Michael is a Walkley award-winner and Adjunct Professor at the University of Sydney’s School of Social and Political Sciences.