If the current rate of growth in hospital admissions in Australia continues, private hospitals can expect to be treating 50% of all hospital patients by 2021. Imagine if the public sector alone had to undertake all this work, writes Michael Roff, CEO of the Australian Private Hospitals Association.
August, 2011
Kohler: surplus stupidity and the case for delaying carbon tax …
We are about to get a lesson in the absurdity of political discourse: the government is going to be accused of “breaking a promise” if a global downturn prevents the budget from returning to surplus by 2013. Or if it delays the carbon tax.
Your Say: Daily Mail readers' feedback: The Coalition’s Direct Action Plan
Crikey readers have their say.
Morning Market Report: Markets are up after a volatile few days on Wall St
The Dow Jones closed up 423 overnight for the fourth straight day of 400+ point swings.
Media briefs: Fairfax’s ‘fair’ offer … Addy crazy eyes … a Bully beat-up …
In today’s Media Briefs: the eyes have it for Adelaide Advertiser … Beat-up of the Week? … Vox Pop of the Day … Front Page of the Day … Print sales heading down but paid digital sales rising … and more …
Political snippets: ABS reveals where the money is
The Australian Bureau of Statistics this morning released a study showing where Australia’s highest paid wage and salary earners live.
Tips and rumours: Tips and rumours
Jetstar incident over ‘suspicious article’. “I have it on good authority,” says an aviation insider, “that last night on JQ 672 from Sydney to Darwin, cabin crew found a suspicious article in the rear lavatory of the A320. Cabin crew advised the captain of the article and the action plan was carried out, ie. moving oxy […]
Video of the Day: Jules and Tim get their own TV show
The dawning of a new age of quality (well, maybe) television is almost upon us with the premiere on September 7 of ABC’s new comedy series At Home With Julia. The preview certainly tickles the funny bone, but how will the show fare? One news website seems to think it will go well …
Crikey Says: Crikey says: power and authority in NSW
To date the NSW Crime Commission has proved to be Australia’s most secretive and unaccountable agency. It boasts Royal Commission-like powers to investigate crime and assemble evidence through a group of public servants exercising remarkable, wide-ranging powers.
PHOTO GALLERY 
Photographing the ‘real’ United Arib Emirates
Lauren Lancaster originally intended to visit the United Arab Emirates on an archaeology study but ended up there as a photographer dedicated to capturing how the place differs from its “comic-book-like” image perpetuated in Western media.
Ricky Perry: a rising contender to unseat Obama
Republican Ricky Perry, who comes from a fifth generation farming background, embodies darn tootin’ conservative values and is increasingly being considered as the GOP’s best bet against Obama, writes Toby Harnden
My Cup Of Tea: A political arts discussion with broad strokes
Arts Minister Simon Crean has released a discussion paper on the government’s forthcoming National Cultural Policy. He speaks to Crikey about the competing agendas and the budget belt tightening.
Gauging public reaction to Google+
Amazing! Awesome! Interesting! Cool! These are some of the reactions Google+ is generating, but how many of them are from super net nerds? Laura Lippay attempts to diagnose how Google’s social media experiment is faring.
aviation industry 
Virgin Australia agrees to 28% pilot pay rise
In stark contrast to the situation at Qantas, former Qantas executive GM John Borghetti, and VIPA, which covers the largest number of Virgin Australia pilots, have reached an enterprise agreement which provides for pay rises of up to 28%, reports Ben Sandilands.
theatre reviews Blood Wedding — Wharf 1, Sydney
The Sydney Theatre Company’s new production of Lorca’s Teflon-coated classic Blood Wedding certainly has visceral ecstasies and powerful performances but its lack of cohesiveness is an issue, writes Lloyd Bradford Skye.
Carr: why Sheridan is wrong about religion and riots in Europe
The Australian foreign affairs journo Greg Sheridan’s comments linking lack of religion to riots in Europe were blatantly wrong or at best missing the point. Remember that the Holocaust was conceived in Germany while church attendance was high, writes Bob Carr.
PNG plan takes heat off Malaysia deal
Crikey media wrap: The Malaysian Solution remains gridlocked in the High Court, but Gillard has had a win in the asylum seeker debate with Papua New Guinea agreeing for a detention centre to be re-opened on Manus Island.
Nearly standing still on unemployment
A year ago the Australian Bureau of Statistics reported that in July 2010 there were just under 587,000 unemployed. Yesterday came the news that in July 2011 there were 576,000 officially looking for jobs. The economic recovery has stalled, writes Richard Farmer.
Video 
Zuckerberg in ’05: ‘I still don’t know if we have something’
A never aired in full interview with Mark Zuckerberg in 2005 depicts the social media pioneer on a velour couch, beer in hand, talking uncertainly about the company’s future and downplaying its success, reports Bianca Bosker.
podcast Canberra Calling: The I can’t believe Blackberrys are cool podcast
Crikey’s Canberra correspondent Bernard Keane and Crikey editor Sophie Black talk about the UK riots, the role of social media and the global economy.
album reviews U2′s Achtung Baby
To celebrate the 20th birthday of U2′s 1991 hit Achtung Baby, the album is being re-released in various wallet-tremblingly expensive box set editions. But does it truly deserve its place in the fabled pantheon of “best of all time” lists? asks Neil Walker.
David Murray takes on the fiscal consensus
Despite widespread agreement that the government doesn’t need to return to surplus next year, one figure wants us to go harder and faster.
