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Game of Mates: How Favours Bleed the Nation
James is our most mundane villain. His victim is Bruce, our typical Aussie, who bleeds from the hip pocket because of James’ actions. Game of Mates tells a tale of economic theft across major sectors of Australia’s economy, showing how James and his group of well-connected Mates siphon off billions from the economy to line their own pockets. In property, mining, transport, banking, superannuation, and many more sectors, James and his Mates cooperate to steal huge chunks of the economic pie for themselves. If you want to know how much this costs the nation, how it is done, and what we can do about it, Game of Mates is the book for you.
204 pages, Paperback
Published April 5, 2017
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February 27, 2018
This is a difficult book to rate. There's enough wrong with it to justify an extremely negative review,* but I still think it was worth reading.
It's a somewhat convincing, reasonably approachable account of grey-area corruption in Australian politics and business. I think a lot of the content will be at least somewhat familiar to most of us, but the book helps to crystallise some important patterns. Having read it, I will be more likely to identify the telltale signs of corruption, favour-trading and rent-seeking, and less likely to uncritically accept the usual justifications peddled by those who stand to benefit.
However, it doesn't contain enough hard evidence or careful, detailed analysis to make anything close to a watertight case. If I wasn't already inclined to believe the main thesis of the book, I would not have been convinced by it.
It's also extremely sloppily written. It's full not only of typos and misplaced words, but of ungrammatical sentences. Some sections read like university essays written by a passionate, smart, but careless and not particularly eloquent student. The book seems to have been self-published, and I suspect that the authors did not employ an editor. (Really the problems seem to be more at the subeditor/proofreader level; honestly I don't know how the publishing process works. But whoever normally saves authors from their own sloppiness did not work on this book.) Most of the time this is a minor annoyance, but eventually my inability to trust that any given sentence would actually make sense made the reading experience rather stressful. And, fairly or not, it makes the authors seem less credible.
Game of Mates is an inelegant polemic, but a sincere one grounded in an important reality. Perhaps it's stuck in a no-man's-land: it's not sufficiently rigorous to convince sceptics or academics, but (even if we ignore the desperate need for an editor) nor is it quite punchy or exciting enough to become a bestseller. I recommend it, but I hope it will soon be superseded by better books on the same topic.
___
* but not this one -- www.cis.org.au/app/uploads/2017/09/33... -- written by a consultant & former public servant who:
- tells us that Murray and Frijters can't possibly be right because Australia scores well on the global perceived-corruption index, is not exceptionally unequal by OECD standards, and is still a rich, functional country;
- writes that "the authors note 'In the strict legal sense, [those who play the Game] may not be corrupt' (p. 16). In which case, it is difficult to know exactly what they are complaining about.";
- calls the rather tame final chapter "a Communist Manifesto-style call to arms"; and
- concludes by blithely assuring us that "To an extent, a lot of what the authors have identified is obvious. Well-connected people do better in life. That has been observed for a long time".
It's a somewhat convincing, reasonably approachable account of grey-area corruption in Australian politics and business. I think a lot of the content will be at least somewhat familiar to most of us, but the book helps to crystallise some important patterns. Having read it, I will be more likely to identify the telltale signs of corruption, favour-trading and rent-seeking, and less likely to uncritically accept the usual justifications peddled by those who stand to benefit.
However, it doesn't contain enough hard evidence or careful, detailed analysis to make anything close to a watertight case. If I wasn't already inclined to believe the main thesis of the book, I would not have been convinced by it.
It's also extremely sloppily written. It's full not only of typos and misplaced words, but of ungrammatical sentences. Some sections read like university essays written by a passionate, smart, but careless and not particularly eloquent student. The book seems to have been self-published, and I suspect that the authors did not employ an editor. (Really the problems seem to be more at the subeditor/proofreader level; honestly I don't know how the publishing process works. But whoever normally saves authors from their own sloppiness did not work on this book.) Most of the time this is a minor annoyance, but eventually my inability to trust that any given sentence would actually make sense made the reading experience rather stressful. And, fairly or not, it makes the authors seem less credible.
Game of Mates is an inelegant polemic, but a sincere one grounded in an important reality. Perhaps it's stuck in a no-man's-land: it's not sufficiently rigorous to convince sceptics or academics, but (even if we ignore the desperate need for an editor) nor is it quite punchy or exciting enough to become a bestseller. I recommend it, but I hope it will soon be superseded by better books on the same topic.
___
* but not this one -- www.cis.org.au/app/uploads/2017/09/33... -- written by a consultant & former public servant who:
- tells us that Murray and Frijters can't possibly be right because Australia scores well on the global perceived-corruption index, is not exceptionally unequal by OECD standards, and is still a rich, functional country;
- writes that "the authors note 'In the strict legal sense, [those who play the Game] may not be corrupt' (p. 16). In which case, it is difficult to know exactly what they are complaining about.";
- calls the rather tame final chapter "a Communist Manifesto-style call to arms"; and
- concludes by blithely assuring us that "To an extent, a lot of what the authors have identified is obvious. Well-connected people do better in life. That has been observed for a long time".
June 22, 2017
I was recommended this book by the operators of the Macrobusiness.com.au website, where Cameron Murray is a contributor.
Overall I found this an interesting albeit unsurprising look into the way that public interests are often usurped by the interests of small groups of wealthy industrialists through a 'game' of reciprocal favours including 'grey gifting' that occurs between government decision makers and those that they are supposed to be regulating. By having a close look at the actions of trusted insiders within the industries of property, Private Public Projects, transport, superannuation, transport, university, health and defence the authors claim that these 'mates' have siphoned off enormous wealth for themselves and for the wider circle of mates by making it easier to give each other 'grey gifts' and then erect huge barriers to entry (through personal connections, manipulation of the population at large through enormous media campaigns and finally industry regulation) against other profit-minded groups who might try to muscle in on their gig, or shut it down.
Murray and his team do not claim that there is just a small group of individuals to blame for growing inequality in Australia, instead they show that a pig at the trough in one industry might be getting ripped off as badly as the rest of us when other industries are brought into focus. The overall effect of all these leeches is that there is less wealth available for those without some skin in this 'game' and they will continue to suffer economically and personally.
The book doesnt name names (at least many of them) and instead keeps things general so that the average punter like I can grasp things. It suggests a number of ways that we could potentially improve things so that these groups have less room to manoeuvre and spin their stories to justify their actions.
In summary this was a light, easy read that is deserving of your time even if you have only a passing interest in the economy and growing inequality. Hopefully Murray and 'his mates' will be encouraged to continue to write and discuss the Australian economy again in the future.
Overall I found this an interesting albeit unsurprising look into the way that public interests are often usurped by the interests of small groups of wealthy industrialists through a 'game' of reciprocal favours including 'grey gifting' that occurs between government decision makers and those that they are supposed to be regulating. By having a close look at the actions of trusted insiders within the industries of property, Private Public Projects, transport, superannuation, transport, university, health and defence the authors claim that these 'mates' have siphoned off enormous wealth for themselves and for the wider circle of mates by making it easier to give each other 'grey gifts' and then erect huge barriers to entry (through personal connections, manipulation of the population at large through enormous media campaigns and finally industry regulation) against other profit-minded groups who might try to muscle in on their gig, or shut it down.
Murray and his team do not claim that there is just a small group of individuals to blame for growing inequality in Australia, instead they show that a pig at the trough in one industry might be getting ripped off as badly as the rest of us when other industries are brought into focus. The overall effect of all these leeches is that there is less wealth available for those without some skin in this 'game' and they will continue to suffer economically and personally.
The book doesnt name names (at least many of them) and instead keeps things general so that the average punter like I can grasp things. It suggests a number of ways that we could potentially improve things so that these groups have less room to manoeuvre and spin their stories to justify their actions.
In summary this was a light, easy read that is deserving of your time even if you have only a passing interest in the economy and growing inequality. Hopefully Murray and 'his mates' will be encouraged to continue to write and discuss the Australian economy again in the future.
April 30, 2017
This book is a manifesto for everything that's wrong in Australia's politics and economics. The authors not only describe how the average Australian is being ripped off by the 'Game of Mates' of the elite classes, but also name many of the people who are doing it. A must-read for every Australian voter.
January 2, 2025
covers a lot of interesting ground about the forms of corruption endemic in australia (regulatory capture, cronyism, tax avoidance, monopoly and so on), some of which was familiar, and some of which was new. definitely some good parts in there which run contra to the insipid media coverage of governance in australia.
unfortunately the way the story was communicated was unbelievably annoying. the prose was extremely hard to chew down; the frequent use of James and Mate made me feel insane. there were frequent mistakes throughout and the way the chapters were laid out only further obscured the core argument. a much shorter work with some more detailed analysis could have been a bit clearer and more enlightening.
unfortunately the way the story was communicated was unbelievably annoying. the prose was extremely hard to chew down; the frequent use of James and Mate made me feel insane. there were frequent mistakes throughout and the way the chapters were laid out only further obscured the core argument. a much shorter work with some more detailed analysis could have been a bit clearer and more enlightening.
May 22, 2021
*4 1/2 stars*
nepotistic corrupt monopolies are pretty cringe 👍🏻
nepotistic corrupt monopolies are pretty cringe 👍🏻
November 2, 2021
A fun little primer on 21st Century corruption in Australia
What does corruption look like in a society that “isn’t corrupt”? This book answers this question (albeit simplistically) showing how more classical forms of corruption such bribes or direct theft of public money by politicians has evolved into a sophisticated culture of mutual favour sharing of grey gifts/favourable discretionary treatment and where a revolving door between private and government employment exists. In such a system, instead of money being taken directly policies and projects are created which shifts the future tax burden and costs away from the well-connected to the government those on the outside which keeps it largely hidden even if the effects are broadly felt.
It does this by showing the unfortunately common examples of this in action in Australia in the property development, infrastructure and mining sectors and a handful others.
Even as I write this review the today’s news furnishes me with what looks to be an unusually blatant example of this. As part of the response to COVID-19 Australia initiated the largest economic support plan in Australia’s history – the Jobkeeper allowance, which was designed to provide employers who faced sustained lower turnover with payments to keep people employed. It is now emerging that of the $89 billion allocated to this program $38 billion was provided to companies which didn’t meet the minimum turnover loss threshold and that of this 1.3 billion dollars went to companies which tripled their turnover during the process.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-11-0...
Lastly it does have a populist flair to it that starts to wear thin after awhile
What does corruption look like in a society that “isn’t corrupt”? This book answers this question (albeit simplistically) showing how more classical forms of corruption such bribes or direct theft of public money by politicians has evolved into a sophisticated culture of mutual favour sharing of grey gifts/favourable discretionary treatment and where a revolving door between private and government employment exists. In such a system, instead of money being taken directly policies and projects are created which shifts the future tax burden and costs away from the well-connected to the government those on the outside which keeps it largely hidden even if the effects are broadly felt.
It does this by showing the unfortunately common examples of this in action in Australia in the property development, infrastructure and mining sectors and a handful others.
Even as I write this review the today’s news furnishes me with what looks to be an unusually blatant example of this. As part of the response to COVID-19 Australia initiated the largest economic support plan in Australia’s history – the Jobkeeper allowance, which was designed to provide employers who faced sustained lower turnover with payments to keep people employed. It is now emerging that of the $89 billion allocated to this program $38 billion was provided to companies which didn’t meet the minimum turnover loss threshold and that of this 1.3 billion dollars went to companies which tripled their turnover during the process.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-11-0...
Lastly it does have a populist flair to it that starts to wear thin after awhile
March 6, 2020
The authors managed to turn a good feature article founded on solid journalism into a drawn out book that allowed their agenda to come through too strongly. No need to spend the time
March 10, 2024
There is an unmistakeable series of similarities between this book and the way that politics is practiced in the Australian Capital Territory. Game of Mates was written by two economists, who revealed the workings of our political system along with truths about our economy. Truths that are inconvenient for elites, but essential truths for people to understand. Their simplified narrative has a small group of elite cronies (called James) who rig the legal/regulatory/market/financial systems in their favour, at the expense of the vast majority of people (called Bruce). Let’s take a look…
“The reason we must repeat history again now is that our societies don’t notice James at first, for that is his skill. While the rest of us are productive, James and his mates are organising our poverty by taking advantage of the opportunities we inadvertently leave them. We only become aware of his Game after decades; when his Game becomes so flagrant, entrenched and costly it can no longer be ignored.”
In the ACT context James represents influential insiders of the Labor Party and unions (including MLAs and union officials), the larger property developers, senior government appointments (eg public servants and board members), some of The Greens, and a small proportion of very well-connected suppliers/intermediaries/stakeholders (eg trusted advisors, lobbyists, and businesses with strategically important employment and investment). This is a tiny group, 1-2% of the population of 470k people. The exercise of their power has a direct impact onto tens of thousands of people/households. For example, union campaigning for pay and conditions will spill over to these teachers/public servants/builders/nurses. But these two groups of people are very distinct from each other. There is a big wealth gap between James and Bruce, with the former having income comparable to the average whereas the latter can command at least several times the average income.
There are four main elements that make up the Game of Mates:
“First are the flaws in our laws and regulations that leave highly valuable ‘grey gifts’ on the table that James can snatch for his Mates. Second is the group of allies, or Mates, that form to capitalise on grey gifts through a network of implicit favour-trades. The third ingredient is a way to signal loyalty to the group of Mates, creating a way for new members to join, and for the group to rid itself of traitors. And lastly, a crucial ingredient in the Game is to shield James and his Mates true actions from public scrutiny with plausible myths. These myths twist reality in a way to suggest that James’ dodgy dealings are in fact good for society!”
In the ACT context these myths include that: the specific brand of progressive politics of Labor and Greens is good for Canberra’s society; the narrow definitions of diversity and inclusion practiced by Labor and Greens are the right/only approaches; Canberra is a Labor town; public servants working in Canberra benefit from Labor governments; the Liberal Party is dominated by far-right conservatives; and that Labor and Green Ministers have pure motives.
“At its core, the underlying power that James co-opted when playing the Game of Mates in property and transportation was the discretion of the politicians and the bureaucrats to make rezoning decisions and determine the content of infrastructure contracts. James’ wealth in those sectors came from these discretionary decisions over the allocation of things that have large private value, but are not priced. They are ‘grey gifts’. And they are the currency of ‘grey corruption’.”
“The groups that have access to the political and legal structures of society, and the valuable grey gifts within, are the ones to be wary of, as the power given to them by society at large means that when they exercise their discretion to promote internal cohesion and cooperation, it often comes at an enormous cost to outsiders.”
“To properly hide the true nature of the Game to outsiders, James needs a plausible story that shows why it is good for society for him to control grey gifts, and how society benefits when he gives these gifts to his Mates. James hides behind these myths, using them like an umbrella to protect him from cleansing rains of serious public scrutiny… The fact that James and his Mates automatically corrupt the language in a society, turning the actual content of the best words into the worst practice, adds to the general confusion and cynicism, ultimately leading to culture wars. This also helps to explain why reforms come in cycles. A population must be so fed up with the current situation that they are willing to invest in a new language that comes from outside, and seek new sources of information and advice from their usual fare.”
Towards the end of the book, Murray and Frijters pose the question of what it takes for ordinary people to notice that they have been abused?
“The one thing they will notice is whether their life is getting worse. Marked reductions in wellbeing will not escape Bruce’s attention, no matter how absorbed he might be in his own daily life. As we saw, it took a depression in the 1890s to generate a wave of reforms in the early 1990s that shared Australia’s wealth more widely. The level of economic growth therefore limits what James and his Mates can steal. He and his Mates cannot easily steal large parts of the economic wealth that the rest of the population already has, for that would be noticed and strongly resisted.”
Consider the politics of inward immigration, to Australia and to the ACT:
“Who benefits the most from additional skilled workers? Other workers who would have to compete for jobs and already live here? Or James and his Mates, the bosses and owners in monopolised sectors of the economy, who benefit from selling new apartments, pharmaceuticals, superannuation funds, and new mortgages? Of course, it is James!... We believe it is James’ political support that has led to massive immigration to Australia in recent decades.”
The authors strongly argue that increased regulation and improved disclosure are not a panacea:
“We explain why we think that more regulation often exacerbates the situation, as James thrives on regulation and is highly adept at getting it to work for him. Simple-sounding solutions, like ‘more transparency’ are equally useless in most of the sectors we look at. To see why this is so, it is crucial to understand that James is not a solitary individual who finds a corruptible politician, but is a networker, able to forge coalitions with many individuals involved in different parts of the system, leading to a Mafia-type hold on individual sectors… One main reason why James thrives on complicated rules is that it makes the job harder for any would-be competitor; in the jargon of economics, ‘compliance is a natural monopoly’. There is a fixed cost in understanding any regulation and once James has paid that fixed cost, the cost of complying many times is minimal. Any newcomer would have to put in a lot of effort to be able to comply. So large compliance costs naturally lead to few competitors. The more complex the rules and the more the rules are subtly changed because of ‘consultation’ with the people who are still in the Game (i.e., the few left standing), the harder it is for anyone else to compete with James.”
The authors credit the ACT planning system for having lease variation charges (which clawback some of the value from zoning changes) as well as the rules for new land leases being developed within two years (to ensure that they are used for the intended purpose). However, the system in practice is far from perfect, with closely connected insiders benefiting at the expense of our broader society (ie James making loads of money from Bruce)… Consider the decision of the Planning Minister one fortnight ago, to use call-in powers for the approval of 1,000 new homes in Denman Prospect. Not only is this an enormous grey gift to the developer (Capital Estate Developments, part of Terry Snow's Capital Airport Group). But it is also an admission that both the current and the newly proposed planning laws are not fit-for-purpose.
“In short, Australia is becoming a class-society, with an elite that robs the rest who are scrambling to salvage some self-esteem by secretly hoping to join that elite. The pathetic kowtowing to wealth that is so typical of class-societies has replaced the proud culture Australia had just decades ago, where tall poppies were cut to size. The tall poppies have had their revenge.”
Game of Mates was first published in 2017, followed by Rigged in 2022. Check out the videos and other material at their website:
https://gameofmates.com/
“The reason we must repeat history again now is that our societies don’t notice James at first, for that is his skill. While the rest of us are productive, James and his mates are organising our poverty by taking advantage of the opportunities we inadvertently leave them. We only become aware of his Game after decades; when his Game becomes so flagrant, entrenched and costly it can no longer be ignored.”
In the ACT context James represents influential insiders of the Labor Party and unions (including MLAs and union officials), the larger property developers, senior government appointments (eg public servants and board members), some of The Greens, and a small proportion of very well-connected suppliers/intermediaries/stakeholders (eg trusted advisors, lobbyists, and businesses with strategically important employment and investment). This is a tiny group, 1-2% of the population of 470k people. The exercise of their power has a direct impact onto tens of thousands of people/households. For example, union campaigning for pay and conditions will spill over to these teachers/public servants/builders/nurses. But these two groups of people are very distinct from each other. There is a big wealth gap between James and Bruce, with the former having income comparable to the average whereas the latter can command at least several times the average income.
There are four main elements that make up the Game of Mates:
“First are the flaws in our laws and regulations that leave highly valuable ‘grey gifts’ on the table that James can snatch for his Mates. Second is the group of allies, or Mates, that form to capitalise on grey gifts through a network of implicit favour-trades. The third ingredient is a way to signal loyalty to the group of Mates, creating a way for new members to join, and for the group to rid itself of traitors. And lastly, a crucial ingredient in the Game is to shield James and his Mates true actions from public scrutiny with plausible myths. These myths twist reality in a way to suggest that James’ dodgy dealings are in fact good for society!”
In the ACT context these myths include that: the specific brand of progressive politics of Labor and Greens is good for Canberra’s society; the narrow definitions of diversity and inclusion practiced by Labor and Greens are the right/only approaches; Canberra is a Labor town; public servants working in Canberra benefit from Labor governments; the Liberal Party is dominated by far-right conservatives; and that Labor and Green Ministers have pure motives.
“At its core, the underlying power that James co-opted when playing the Game of Mates in property and transportation was the discretion of the politicians and the bureaucrats to make rezoning decisions and determine the content of infrastructure contracts. James’ wealth in those sectors came from these discretionary decisions over the allocation of things that have large private value, but are not priced. They are ‘grey gifts’. And they are the currency of ‘grey corruption’.”
“The groups that have access to the political and legal structures of society, and the valuable grey gifts within, are the ones to be wary of, as the power given to them by society at large means that when they exercise their discretion to promote internal cohesion and cooperation, it often comes at an enormous cost to outsiders.”
“To properly hide the true nature of the Game to outsiders, James needs a plausible story that shows why it is good for society for him to control grey gifts, and how society benefits when he gives these gifts to his Mates. James hides behind these myths, using them like an umbrella to protect him from cleansing rains of serious public scrutiny… The fact that James and his Mates automatically corrupt the language in a society, turning the actual content of the best words into the worst practice, adds to the general confusion and cynicism, ultimately leading to culture wars. This also helps to explain why reforms come in cycles. A population must be so fed up with the current situation that they are willing to invest in a new language that comes from outside, and seek new sources of information and advice from their usual fare.”
Towards the end of the book, Murray and Frijters pose the question of what it takes for ordinary people to notice that they have been abused?
“The one thing they will notice is whether their life is getting worse. Marked reductions in wellbeing will not escape Bruce’s attention, no matter how absorbed he might be in his own daily life. As we saw, it took a depression in the 1890s to generate a wave of reforms in the early 1990s that shared Australia’s wealth more widely. The level of economic growth therefore limits what James and his Mates can steal. He and his Mates cannot easily steal large parts of the economic wealth that the rest of the population already has, for that would be noticed and strongly resisted.”
Consider the politics of inward immigration, to Australia and to the ACT:
“Who benefits the most from additional skilled workers? Other workers who would have to compete for jobs and already live here? Or James and his Mates, the bosses and owners in monopolised sectors of the economy, who benefit from selling new apartments, pharmaceuticals, superannuation funds, and new mortgages? Of course, it is James!... We believe it is James’ political support that has led to massive immigration to Australia in recent decades.”
The authors strongly argue that increased regulation and improved disclosure are not a panacea:
“We explain why we think that more regulation often exacerbates the situation, as James thrives on regulation and is highly adept at getting it to work for him. Simple-sounding solutions, like ‘more transparency’ are equally useless in most of the sectors we look at. To see why this is so, it is crucial to understand that James is not a solitary individual who finds a corruptible politician, but is a networker, able to forge coalitions with many individuals involved in different parts of the system, leading to a Mafia-type hold on individual sectors… One main reason why James thrives on complicated rules is that it makes the job harder for any would-be competitor; in the jargon of economics, ‘compliance is a natural monopoly’. There is a fixed cost in understanding any regulation and once James has paid that fixed cost, the cost of complying many times is minimal. Any newcomer would have to put in a lot of effort to be able to comply. So large compliance costs naturally lead to few competitors. The more complex the rules and the more the rules are subtly changed because of ‘consultation’ with the people who are still in the Game (i.e., the few left standing), the harder it is for anyone else to compete with James.”
The authors credit the ACT planning system for having lease variation charges (which clawback some of the value from zoning changes) as well as the rules for new land leases being developed within two years (to ensure that they are used for the intended purpose). However, the system in practice is far from perfect, with closely connected insiders benefiting at the expense of our broader society (ie James making loads of money from Bruce)… Consider the decision of the Planning Minister one fortnight ago, to use call-in powers for the approval of 1,000 new homes in Denman Prospect. Not only is this an enormous grey gift to the developer (Capital Estate Developments, part of Terry Snow's Capital Airport Group). But it is also an admission that both the current and the newly proposed planning laws are not fit-for-purpose.
“In short, Australia is becoming a class-society, with an elite that robs the rest who are scrambling to salvage some self-esteem by secretly hoping to join that elite. The pathetic kowtowing to wealth that is so typical of class-societies has replaced the proud culture Australia had just decades ago, where tall poppies were cut to size. The tall poppies have had their revenge.”
Game of Mates was first published in 2017, followed by Rigged in 2022. Check out the videos and other material at their website:
https://gameofmates.com/
October 10, 2019
I don't want to see the final season of Game of Mates, I've heard the entire thing falls flat.
Cameron Murray and Professor Paul Frijters set out to expose the inner workings of the Australian economy in Game of Mates. Through a series of case studies, they outline how a few (the Jameses) take from the many (the Bruces) by blurring the line between business and the regulators. Then, knowing that their readers will be suitably gobsmacked and annoyed, call for the masses (Bruces) to make a change.
As with any book about real-life grifting in the halls of power, this book made me annoyed and disillusioned. There is nothing more galling than to have someone show you how the grift is endemic and then realise you kinda knew. We kinda all know. There is no surprise here. And that means there is no "justice". Cue scene of me staring out the window as rain drips down it.
Murray and Frijters conclude with some ways to stop the grift:
1) Reclaim the value of grey gifts for the public.
Essentially, when the grifters rig the system they gift themselves advantage/money/power. We have to tear that down. One example was Public-Private Partnerships on infrastructure developments, which essentially end up being a gift of public assets to private businesses with a guaranteed profit underwritten by the public.
2) Disrupt (James') the grifters' coordination.
This is fairly obvious, stop the revolving door between public and private interests, put in oversight, make sure the oversight isn't part of the problem, etc.
3) Bust the myths (James) the grifters use.
This isn't just about addressing the claims cherry-picked "experts" will make, such as promoting projects that aren't needed (examples are given, there are plenty). This is also about reclaiming the narrative from these grifters. In Australia, this is particularly difficult as many of the media outlets are either owned or have close links to the same people grifting.
4) Fight back.
Disillusion can lead to apathy. That's what keeps us on the losing end.
Speaking of the losing end, the costs of this game are:
New Housing - 70% of the gains from rezoning;
Transportation infrastructure - 68% of the investment;
Superannuation - 27% gobbled up;
Mining - 48% of the profits;
Banking - 60% more expensive for the masses;
Taxes - 23% extra taxation borne by the masses (I've seen a figure suggesting this is a global issue and sees the average person taxed proportionally more);
Pharmacies, medicines, and health - 10% more expensive;
Higher education - 100% more expensive...
Okay, so clearly this book hit the mark and is enlightening. Why only three stars, I hear someone say? Well, while I appreciate your question, I'm wondering what you're doing in my house.
I think the problem I had with this book was the polemic style to it. We are told. I listed the figures above, and whilst those numbers are backed up, they are big claims that require fairly solid evidence. I felt the evidence was a bit flimsy. Not wrong, but maybe selective, or misrepresentative.
Another example was around how to stop the revolving door which amounted to banning people from getting a different job in the same industry. That's probably not as well thought out as it needs to be.
Game of Mates is worth reading but it felt underdone.
Cameron Murray and Professor Paul Frijters set out to expose the inner workings of the Australian economy in Game of Mates. Through a series of case studies, they outline how a few (the Jameses) take from the many (the Bruces) by blurring the line between business and the regulators. Then, knowing that their readers will be suitably gobsmacked and annoyed, call for the masses (Bruces) to make a change.
As with any book about real-life grifting in the halls of power, this book made me annoyed and disillusioned. There is nothing more galling than to have someone show you how the grift is endemic and then realise you kinda knew. We kinda all know. There is no surprise here. And that means there is no "justice". Cue scene of me staring out the window as rain drips down it.
Murray and Frijters conclude with some ways to stop the grift:
1) Reclaim the value of grey gifts for the public.
Essentially, when the grifters rig the system they gift themselves advantage/money/power. We have to tear that down. One example was Public-Private Partnerships on infrastructure developments, which essentially end up being a gift of public assets to private businesses with a guaranteed profit underwritten by the public.
2) Disrupt (James') the grifters' coordination.
This is fairly obvious, stop the revolving door between public and private interests, put in oversight, make sure the oversight isn't part of the problem, etc.
3) Bust the myths (James) the grifters use.
This isn't just about addressing the claims cherry-picked "experts" will make, such as promoting projects that aren't needed (examples are given, there are plenty). This is also about reclaiming the narrative from these grifters. In Australia, this is particularly difficult as many of the media outlets are either owned or have close links to the same people grifting.
4) Fight back.
Disillusion can lead to apathy. That's what keeps us on the losing end.
Speaking of the losing end, the costs of this game are:
New Housing - 70% of the gains from rezoning;
Transportation infrastructure - 68% of the investment;
Superannuation - 27% gobbled up;
Mining - 48% of the profits;
Banking - 60% more expensive for the masses;
Taxes - 23% extra taxation borne by the masses (I've seen a figure suggesting this is a global issue and sees the average person taxed proportionally more);
Pharmacies, medicines, and health - 10% more expensive;
Higher education - 100% more expensive...
Okay, so clearly this book hit the mark and is enlightening. Why only three stars, I hear someone say? Well, while I appreciate your question, I'm wondering what you're doing in my house.
I think the problem I had with this book was the polemic style to it. We are told. I listed the figures above, and whilst those numbers are backed up, they are big claims that require fairly solid evidence. I felt the evidence was a bit flimsy. Not wrong, but maybe selective, or misrepresentative.
Another example was around how to stop the revolving door which amounted to banning people from getting a different job in the same industry. That's probably not as well thought out as it needs to be.
Game of Mates is worth reading but it felt underdone.
December 7, 2020
The Game of Mates is as the title suggests - just like Game of Thrones without any of the good stuff.
Jest aside, the book is written in a very casual way. It is easy to follow, and all the concepts are communicated very clearly. The elites in a certain area or field are described as 'James', while the common Australian is marked as 'Bruce'. The writers deserve credit for making the book quite accessible, although the writing style had its own cons of being overly simplistic at times (which I'll get to later). As an aside, I had some issue with the common Australian being a 'Bruce', which really does not pay much homage to how diverse the country is within its capital cities.
The topics in the book range from property development, to taxes, superannuation and mining rights. All areas which are either debated issues or vital to the Australian economy. The authors do a good job in breaking down the rules and regulations of these industries, and the 'grey gifts' (or hidden benefits) which the elites receive as part of the "Game of Mates". A Game, which involves a lot of political favours, and movement between private and public sectors.
There are instances where I feel the authors made some claims which were highly questionable. For example, the appeal to the jury system as a model for making government decisions, or the assertion that people know how to save . Presenting opinions of this nature as incontrovertible facts without exploring them further in-depth did not help the objectivity of the book, and resulted in some raised eyebrows. The black and white approach the authors took, while assisting the reader understand the book, in my view was not nuanced enough for a book of the nature to truly be incredible. It reads more as a well-researched opinion piece rather than a dissertation on the Game of Mates.
Even with the apparent flaws, I did feel that the book overall was enjoyable to read. I applaud the authors for shining the spotlight over some of the issues that are present in Australia, and raising awareness about best practice guidelines which are effective elsewhere.
Jest aside, the book is written in a very casual way. It is easy to follow, and all the concepts are communicated very clearly. The elites in a certain area or field are described as 'James', while the common Australian is marked as 'Bruce'. The writers deserve credit for making the book quite accessible, although the writing style had its own cons of being overly simplistic at times (which I'll get to later). As an aside, I had some issue with the common Australian being a 'Bruce', which really does not pay much homage to how diverse the country is within its capital cities.
The topics in the book range from property development, to taxes, superannuation and mining rights. All areas which are either debated issues or vital to the Australian economy. The authors do a good job in breaking down the rules and regulations of these industries, and the 'grey gifts' (or hidden benefits) which the elites receive as part of the "Game of Mates". A Game, which involves a lot of political favours, and movement between private and public sectors.
There are instances where I feel the authors made some claims which were highly questionable. For example, the appeal to the jury system as a model for making government decisions, or the assertion that people know how to save . Presenting opinions of this nature as incontrovertible facts without exploring them further in-depth did not help the objectivity of the book, and resulted in some raised eyebrows. The black and white approach the authors took, while assisting the reader understand the book, in my view was not nuanced enough for a book of the nature to truly be incredible. It reads more as a well-researched opinion piece rather than a dissertation on the Game of Mates.
Even with the apparent flaws, I did feel that the book overall was enjoyable to read. I applaud the authors for shining the spotlight over some of the issues that are present in Australia, and raising awareness about best practice guidelines which are effective elsewhere.
November 13, 2020
This should be compulsory reading in every secondary school in this country.
March 14, 2022
Game of Mates : How Favours Bleed the Nation (2017) by Cameron Murray and Paul Frijters is an interesting look at how Australia really works and how public choice theory plays out in Australia. Murray and Frijters are both Australian economic academics. Murray is an interesting contrarian who was strongly against lockdowns, doesn’t think zoning drives up housing prices, seems to be for lower Australian immigration and who has tweeted favorably about Michael Schellenberger. Frijters also seems to agree with Murray about lockdowns.
The book described two groups in Australia, the connected mates, whose members are called James and the public who lose out with members called Bruce. For reference Australia is ranked as the 18th least corrupt country in the world in the corruptions perception index.
The book looks at how favours between mates in government and property sector are given for redevelopment. The system in the ACT where 75% of the profits from rezoning are taken by the government is seen as ideal. The book also references Henry George positively. Sadly however, the ACT now has very high housing prices, the ACT government having taken to increasing their own profits by reducing new supply. The game of mates between the ACT government and apartment builders is also pretty terrible now.
Game of Mates then makes a very strong case the Public Private Partnerships for roads have lost the public a lot of money. Then the Australian Superannuation system is examined and found to be full of overcharging by mates in Unions and the private sector. Also the tax exemptions for super in Australia are now so large that the whole system has become questionable.
The book moves on Mining and how mining leases are obtained and how the authors think that taxes on mining should be higher because it’s a resource that is being taken away from general use for the profit of businesses. They suggest Norway’s petroleum taxes as a model. They make the case well. They also honestly point out how the ALP government in Australia was undone when they tried to alter the system and the miners got what they wanted instead.
The Australian ‘big 4’ banking system is also described as something that takes money from everyday Australians by having higher rates than necessary despite having government guarantees on their profitable home loan businesses. The Australian restrictions on pharmacies are also described and how they lead to higher profits for pharmacists and costs for the public.
Finally the authors say how the public do periodically clean these things up, such as was done by the Hawke-Keating government in Australia, that set up the superannuation scheme and sold the Commonwealth Bank that the book complains about. They also suggest a panel of international experts be used. There seems to be little self-awareness that such a group would be subject to the same incentives that set up the game of mates as it exists now and would likely wind up the same way.
Game of Mates is well worth a read though. It makes a lot of good points. It shows how public choice theory explains things. Government is full of people who are very much interested in their own success and wealth. Many politicians and senior bureaucrats leave office and join firms that they had been making laws for, often drawing substantial salaries. Even in a place like Australia that is, on the whole pretty well run, those in power are often very much out for themselves to the detriment of the general populace.
The book described two groups in Australia, the connected mates, whose members are called James and the public who lose out with members called Bruce. For reference Australia is ranked as the 18th least corrupt country in the world in the corruptions perception index.
The book looks at how favours between mates in government and property sector are given for redevelopment. The system in the ACT where 75% of the profits from rezoning are taken by the government is seen as ideal. The book also references Henry George positively. Sadly however, the ACT now has very high housing prices, the ACT government having taken to increasing their own profits by reducing new supply. The game of mates between the ACT government and apartment builders is also pretty terrible now.
Game of Mates then makes a very strong case the Public Private Partnerships for roads have lost the public a lot of money. Then the Australian Superannuation system is examined and found to be full of overcharging by mates in Unions and the private sector. Also the tax exemptions for super in Australia are now so large that the whole system has become questionable.
The book moves on Mining and how mining leases are obtained and how the authors think that taxes on mining should be higher because it’s a resource that is being taken away from general use for the profit of businesses. They suggest Norway’s petroleum taxes as a model. They make the case well. They also honestly point out how the ALP government in Australia was undone when they tried to alter the system and the miners got what they wanted instead.
The Australian ‘big 4’ banking system is also described as something that takes money from everyday Australians by having higher rates than necessary despite having government guarantees on their profitable home loan businesses. The Australian restrictions on pharmacies are also described and how they lead to higher profits for pharmacists and costs for the public.
Finally the authors say how the public do periodically clean these things up, such as was done by the Hawke-Keating government in Australia, that set up the superannuation scheme and sold the Commonwealth Bank that the book complains about. They also suggest a panel of international experts be used. There seems to be little self-awareness that such a group would be subject to the same incentives that set up the game of mates as it exists now and would likely wind up the same way.
Game of Mates is well worth a read though. It makes a lot of good points. It shows how public choice theory explains things. Government is full of people who are very much interested in their own success and wealth. Many politicians and senior bureaucrats leave office and join firms that they had been making laws for, often drawing substantial salaries. Even in a place like Australia that is, on the whole pretty well run, those in power are often very much out for themselves to the detriment of the general populace.
November 30, 2017
Finished reading ... Game of mates : how favours bleed the nation / Cameron K Murray and Paul Frijters ... 26 November 2017
ISBN: 9780648061106 … pp.204 (incl. Appendix and References)
If you think you're being ripped off by the government – you are! But it's not just the government – politicians are in cahoots with Big Business, industry associations, unions, regualatory authorities and the public service. The appendix includes page after page of named individuals who have rotated through several of those positions thus ensuring that the bottom 80% have little chance of changing how this top 20% control your finances – both directly and indirectly through paying both more taxation and paying more than you should for a whole host of goods and services.
It will come as no surprise that the biggest offending industry groups are property 'development', mining, transportation and roads, superannuation and all sorts of insurance, health, education, and any PPP (public private partnership) at all.
What this book does is slot into place all the jigsaw pieces that you can see but find it hard to grasp in a comprehensive way. It's a game of “you scratch my back and I'll scratch yours” and players do favours for each other in expectation of longer term benefits even more so than instant benefits … which explains why some major players make political donations to both major parties, not just the one that would be their 'natural' home.
Examples are given of what could be done while saying in the next breath that it won't happen because of the near impossibility of breaking up the incestuous cabal-like structure. It points out that the only real way to stop the rot is prevention. It also says that where a cabal is broken it will soon appear again – that new players are no better or worse than the old, that anyone, no matter how good or moral is likely to do a favour for a mate … and only one favour can lock you in to ripping of most of us. And they do it using language in opposite ways to their normal usage meaning, words like fair, ethical, benefits.
A negative note on the production of the book. Game of Mates has been published by the authors (good on them!) who clearly didn't fork out for proper editing. There are enough spelling errors, typos and grammatical mistakes to be annoying.
Also, names are given to the manipulators and the manipulated. James for the top 20% and Bruce for the rest. As handy a shorthand as anything else possibly. But the variation on James is especially annoying - James, James', James's, Jameses. Sometimes it's used incorrectly and not always used consistently.
Highly recommended - This book will clarify your thinking, make you even more angry, raise your blood pressure – but should nevertheless be read by as many people as possible.
While written in an Australian context, this book is also relevant to UK and USA readers ... or any country really.
Borrowed from my local library.
December 27, 2018
I felt like I was reading a manifesto or something similar with the “rise up and take back the money!” Vibe of this book. I think most people in Australia know they are living in a game of mates where James is constantly stealing from Bruce. Sometimes it’s overt, sometimes it’s sneaky like the first home buyer grants. This book isn’t shocking in revealing just how much Bruce has been fleeced and I feel that the sometimes simplistic review of certain issues took away any real persuasive power to incite Bruce to rise up. Property development was one I felt needed greater analysis with a greater focus of the powers of Councils/local government. Despite what the author may think Town Planners and engineers are more and more pushed out of rezoning and consent, rather it’s senior administrative staff who over rule technical staff or just do favours for mates. Would be interested to read the author’s analysis of the banking royal commission.
September 10, 2017
This is certainly a must read for any Australian 18 years old or older (or anyone really). Why? It outlines the economic significance of 'it is WHO you know'. It clearly explains why the gap between the rich an poor in Australia (and in many other countries) is growing. The authors illustrate how the system works across government, property development, transportation, superannuation, banking, mining, education and many other sectors of society. They not only detail the issue, the identify best current practice worldwide and provide mechanism how the corruption and cronyism could be addressed. This is one scary and somewhat depressing read, but not to read it means you are far more likely to be on the loosing end. I'm going to do the best I can to promote this book as the first step for a better world. No wonder why people are increasingly fed up with politics.
October 19, 2017
You'll learn more about how Australian politics, policy and business works from this one book than you will from years reading the 'quality' press. It's a clear-eyed expose of the deeply entrenched, Mafia-style, greasing-each others-wheels that masquerades as policy-making in this country. The authors use the device of two characters - James is the insider, the pokie baron or mining executive or banker who uses his clubby connections with politicians, regulators and bureaucrats to feather his own nest, all the while selling his interest as the public interest (supported by a corrupt and concentrated media). The other character is Bruce, who stands in for the rest of us, the bulk of the population whose pockets are raided repeatedly by the James brigade. Read it. Then write to your MP, demanding a Federal ICAC.
September 17, 2018
This is a book every Australian should read. It describes the mechanism of valuable favours that underpins our political decision-making, decision-making that is falsely lauded as based on "the public good" but is really a servant of private greed. The authors use an entertaining device of pitting James, the recipient of valuable "grey gifts" from mates, against poor old Bruce, the hapless taxpayer whose public monies are shafted away from works in the public good to lining the pockets of a mysterious elite who communicate by signal. The term "grey gifting" is long overdue in the public language when discussing politics and corruption. I can only hope this book becomes widely read and remedies this oversight. A well-researched, articulate and balanced assessment of our political culture. I highly recommend it.
January 5, 2022
I found this book to be an insightful and horrifying glimpse into the sometimes hidden, but often plainly visible, machinations of government and industries across the economy. Although I had read some reviews - which were highly critical of the authors’ writing style as being sloppy, erroneous, and sounding like a spirited but misguided university student - I overall found the book to balance detail and digestible language. The content of the book was absolutely shocking, and will shatter any semblance of naïveté or belief in many of the public and private institutions in our country. One of my favourite parts of the book had to do with the sociology of the main villain of the story (James), which focused not on demonising these people who fill this fictional role, yet justified how their behaviours are human behaviours. One take away from this book would be that it is not productive nor helpful to play into culture wars and class tensions, rather it is vitally important to hold on to empathy, understanding, and a strong desire for principled change.
I am glad that I read this book and would recommend it to others.
I am glad that I read this book and would recommend it to others.
July 21, 2019
Strange book looking at cronyism, regulatory capture and other forms of soft corruption in several Australian sectors (including property development, transport infrastructure, banking and mining).
It's strongest when talking about specific good and bad policy examples, such as the change-of-use fees in the ACT to ensure developers don't get all of the benefits of rezoning. The details are sometimes left out in favor of generalities which seem unconvincing as a result.
I call it strange because, although the authors have strong academic credentials, it reads like the ranting of a crazy person; every second sentence ends with an exclamation mark. Presumably the intention is for lay readers to rise up and put the nearest bloke named James in the guillotine.
It's strongest when talking about specific good and bad policy examples, such as the change-of-use fees in the ACT to ensure developers don't get all of the benefits of rezoning. The details are sometimes left out in favor of generalities which seem unconvincing as a result.
I call it strange because, although the authors have strong academic credentials, it reads like the ranting of a crazy person; every second sentence ends with an exclamation mark. Presumably the intention is for lay readers to rise up and put the nearest bloke named James in the guillotine.
March 14, 2022
A book made for a public that should not think of:
1. Why do incompetents are named in important functions?
2. Why does the Government has such large sums of money?
3. Why there is no legal responsibility for those who give away favor?
4. Why aren't the sums recuperated from the bureaucrats and politicians?
5. Why aren't there limits on how much a corrupt official can spend?
6. Why are the bureaucrats empowered with the money printing machine?
7. Why isn't the working people asked for approval on spending?
No. Murray is just another tool who serves the machine against the public. You should hate those pointed out by this clown, and work harder, because the Government needs more money for their friends.
1. Why do incompetents are named in important functions?
2. Why does the Government has such large sums of money?
3. Why there is no legal responsibility for those who give away favor?
4. Why aren't the sums recuperated from the bureaucrats and politicians?
5. Why aren't there limits on how much a corrupt official can spend?
6. Why are the bureaucrats empowered with the money printing machine?
7. Why isn't the working people asked for approval on spending?
No. Murray is just another tool who serves the machine against the public. You should hate those pointed out by this clown, and work harder, because the Government needs more money for their friends.
February 21, 2023
An interesting read for sure. I liked the coverage of different industries and the opportunities for corruption in each industry. It was also dumbed down enough for any average reader (aka me) to grasp the issues. Also liked that every section ended with a recommendation about how policies could be improved.
I think the book’s weakness is also how vague the issues are. Because the author doesn’t divulge much specific information, there is never a deep dive into a specific case in the main section of the book. The way the book is sectioned doesn’t always make sense, especially in the second half of the book.
I’d definitely still recommend as an introduction into how relationships in Australian politics and business could be impacting you negatively in unexpected ways.
I think the book’s weakness is also how vague the issues are. Because the author doesn’t divulge much specific information, there is never a deep dive into a specific case in the main section of the book. The way the book is sectioned doesn’t always make sense, especially in the second half of the book.
I’d definitely still recommend as an introduction into how relationships in Australian politics and business could be impacting you negatively in unexpected ways.
November 15, 2017
This book is both compelling and depressing and will probably make most readers angry. Furthermore, it should be mandatory reading for everyone. The only downside is that some of the phrasing was a bit clumsy and there were quite a few typos. I initially wondered where their editor was, and then I realised, they probably didn't have one. The book doesn't appear to have been published by a publishing house, but rather by the authors themselves. I suspect that they probably had trouble finding a publisher for it so self-published it. For this reason, I am inclined to forgive them their clumsy phrasing and typos and give it full marks.
May 27, 2017
OMG doesn't cover it. Shouting that from the rooftops might just! If you the Aussie citizen has been feeling disgruntled, dismayed, uncertain about the political & social landscape we find ourselves in, then this is a book that will confirm and shock you with its insights. I wish every Aussie could imbibe the concerns & perceptions expressed here. Its brilliant, a shocker and a call to apolitical arms for a fast diminishing way of life that we are losing with the wealth of the nation being scewed not in favour of us the people, but the rich, wealthy & powerful.
May 30, 2021
Makes you look at the way government and the private sector operate in a whole new way.
It is a system that can only be described as legal racketeering to enrich the minority.
This is a very easy read, with lots of real examples and fascinating stories you will hardly believe, I highly recommend this book.
It is a system that can only be described as legal racketeering to enrich the minority.
This is a very easy read, with lots of real examples and fascinating stories you will hardly believe, I highly recommend this book.
January 11, 2018
Very interesting, and keen to hear more from this author, especially on twitter. It's good to have this counter opinion, but now I feel frustrated because I don't see anything changing along the lines he suggests.
November 9, 2023
A very good read. We all know that there is corruption, but this book offers a glimpse into the extent of it, and the way in which the "game" is set up. Further, the book gives us some suggestions as to how to curtail or limit the corruption.
September 25, 2017
I found it depressing, but that's not the fault of the writers.
December 7, 2017
A solid but simple analysis of political soft corruption.
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