Big four edge out small firms in $190b race for government gold

The largest and most politically connected consulting firms are winning an increasingly generous share of government contracts in Australia, edging out smaller players in the $190 billion race for work.

A major study by economic researchers e61 Institute shows the value of new contracts from federal and state governments has increased more than fivefold in the past decade, with 75 per cent of work going to the dominant firms.