Howard's hardest word?
What is the difference between saying sorry and apologising? This subtle semantic distinction is the main talking point in an evermore rancorous post-interest rate hike debate.
"I said I was sorry they occurred," Mr Howard told reporters. "I don't think I used the word apology. I think there is a difference between the two things."
Kevin Rudd accused the prime minister of playing "semantic games". His stern deputy Julia Gillard noted sternly: "This isn't a day for word plays. This isn't a day to be looking in the Oxford dictionary." Labor's treasurer-in-waiting, Wayne Swan, issued a statement which ran the risk of copyright infringements on the lyrics of Bernie Taupin: "Sorry seems to be the hardest word to say for Mr Howard."
That is not strictly true. Mr Howard has made a habit of saying sorry, but refusing to apologise. As he himself noted: "I think we've been through that debate before in the context of something else."
That something else, of course, is the question of indigenous reconciliation, and his repeated refusal to apologise for past injustices to the Aboriginal people of Australia, such as the Stolen Generations.
Mr Howard explains himself thus: if he discovered that a friend's relative had died he would say he was sorry. But he would most certainly not apologise because the death wasn't his fault.
On interest rate hikes and reconciliation, he sticks to a personal mantra: regret without responsibility.
But in an age of Oprah-style public redemption and contrition, is this enough?
P.S. On the subject of words, has anyone been counting how many times Julia Gillard has uttered the phrase "working families"?
I'm 
°ä´Ç³¾³¾±ð²Ô³Ù²õÌýÌý Post your comment
This is the result of one of the most damaging ambiguities in the English language, that 'I'm sorry' can mean both 'I apologise' and 'I regret'. I have a dear friend who is very good at saying 'I'm sorry you feel that way', but has never, I think, been known to apologise. No, he is not the Australian PM.
The French language differentiates between 'je regrette' and 'je m'excuse'.
Mr Howard uses words with the caution of a lawyer and the duplicity of a politician. He knows exactly the effect he is aiming for when he makes a public statement, but can always back off when challenged and resort to legalistic explanations of what he "really" meant.
For further examples of this, look at his statements on interest rates.