On Labour Force data

ABS Media Manager Andrew Bell writes: Re. “What is happening with rates?” (yesterday). The release of the Labour Force, Australia data for February will be on on Thursday March 17, not March 10 as reported. The release on Thursday (10/3) is Labour Force, Australia: re-benchmarked estimates — January 2016.

The re-benchmarked release is designed to give users an indication of the extent of (very minor) revisions to population benchmarks, ahead of the release. This occurs ahead of the February, May, August and November releases.++

On North Korea

Niall Clugston writes: Re. “A clandestine trip to the propaganda-filled secret floor of a North Korean hotel” (yesterday). Well, Tim Robertson, I too have stayed at Yanggakdo Hotel, Pyongyang, North Korea. I must confess, however, I was never tempted to access the staff quarters. Effectively, that is using world politics as an excuse for breaking into young women’s bedrooms.

On Peta Credlin

David Hand writes: Re. “Keane: Credlin-the-succubus story doesn’t explain Abbott’s failures” (yesterday). Credlin seems to have had enormous power through Abbott’s delegation of authority even within cabinet, of which she was not a member. It looks like Abbott became totally dependent on her to help him govern and this is what brought him undone. I can understand people around them talking idly about an affair as a way of interpreting this co-dependent relationship but that’s about all the smoke there is.

The extracts I’ve seen show a steady procession of colleagues who were his natural allies telling him to do something about it but the fact is he just couldn’t. That’s why he’s on the back bench and has no chance of coming back.