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Media coverage of Prime Minister John Howard saying “sorry” for interest rate rises was seized upon by the Opposition yesterday. More fool them. The PM later sprung his trap, revealing that when he said “sorry”, it wasn’t actually an apology!
In many people’s minds, the PM’s hasty non-apology apology brings back thoughts of the reconciliation debate. Then, the PM expressed “deep and sincere regret” for what happened to indigenous Australians. That wasn’t an apology either. Here, Crikey compares past and present quotes to show how the Prime Minister handles his truth.
Then:
- ABC , 26 August 1999: Parliament endorsed Mr Howard’s expression of “… deep and sincere regret that indigenous Australians suffered injustices under the practices of past generations, and for the hurt and trauma that many indigenous people continue to feel as a consequence of those practices.”
- ABC PM , 27 August 1999:
JOHN HOWARD: “I committed the Government to pursuing reconciliation the night that the Government was re-elected in October of last year. I believe that this resolution will make a huge contribution towards the cause of reconciliation. It does not, as a resolution, impose a blame or a guilt on present generations for past misdeeds. But it does recognise the truth about Australia’s history.
MATT PEACOCK: It doesn’t say sorry.
JOHN HOWARD: No, well…
MATT PEACOCK: Is that important?
JOHN HOWARD: Well, no, what is important, Matt, is what is positive out of what was passed yesterday. I am not, like Aden Ridgeway, I am not going to get hung out about, hung up about this or that word or this or that expression.
Wednesday, 7 November, 2007:
- I would say to the borrowers of Australia who are affected by this change that I am sorry about that and I regret the additional burden that will be put upon them as a result.
And now:
- Well, I said I was sorry they’d occurred. I don’t think I actually used the word apology. I think there is a difference between the two things … I think we’ve been through that debate before, haven’t we, in the context of something (else) … I very much regret the interest rate rise. I’m sorry it’s happened. This word game about apologies and sorry has been invented by the Labor Party to divert attention from the fact they don’t have an economic policy to put downward pressure on inflation and interest rates.
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17 Comments
Tony P says “We cheer commodity prices producing a mining boom”. But not all of us. Now not only can I not afford to buy a house but soon I wont be able to afford to eat either. Intergenerational taxation. Selfish boomers are leaving behind a dead world.
Howard’s apology is suspiciously similar Mikhail Bulgakov’s famous line in ‘The Master and Margarita’ about “second degree freshness!”
John Howard is pathological. He cannot admit guilt or tell the truth anymore.
If he can blame Labor for the rise in Rates in the past, he must admit guilt for rises now.
Loking on frm abroad (Los Angeles),I get a feeling of a PM that is in his last weeks.
JWH is not responsible for interest rates. They are caused by inflation due to high oil and food prices. But Oil would be cheaper if we hadn’t invaded Iraq and food increases caused by the drought are due to global warming. Responsibility for that? Sorry?
One of the first things every parent teaches their children is to apologise. That is, to say “Sorry”. I have no time for smarta-se manipulation of the english language in an attempt to make this powerful word mean nothing at all.
I know neither the author, readers or the media at large are as stupid as they pretend to be over the “sorry” word. Where’s the confusion? The PM feels sorry for burden of higher rates on people. The PM has nothing to apologise for as he didn’t lift them.
Nice to hear the failure from Joondalup back on Crikey.
Tony Papafilis, Mr “I got Carmen”, and his Liberal Party bile.
Out yourself Tony, you are a Liberal Party stooge, from Richard Court’s circus.
I think I’ve figured out what it all means. Now Johnny can say “Sorry” for children overboard lies, AWB bribes to Iraq, even going to war in Iraq along with all his other mistakes without actually having to apologise!
Nice to hear the failure from Joondalup back on Crikey.
Tony Papafilis, Mr “I got Carmen”, and his Liberal Party bile.
Out yourself Tony, you are a Liberal Party stooge, from Richard Court’s circus.
Ever the polemic. What else could be expected from a lawyer? Strange that these people are not referred to as solicitors anymore. Has it something to do with morality?
John Howard is right. Saying Sorry is a form of apolagy. Apolagies are more diverse than this. J.H.’s regret is that this is bad for him, not others. Howard is sorry it happened. But he is only sorry for himself. It’s all about Jonny.
I see John Howard believes Labour has no policy to stop interest rates rising.
Could John Howard tell us what policy he has had in place to give us 10 interest rate increases in a row and why has he not changed this policy since 2001?
Is the PM sorry for lying in 2004?
Sorry for having to lie NOW about something he now says he can’t actually control?
Sorry, but he doesn’t give a damn?
Global demand has seen record commodity prices across the board - oil, iron ore, nickel, lead, zinc, even uranim & wheat. We cheer commodity prices producing a mining boom but we should blame PM Howard for downside of higher prices - higher inflation.
Howard’s apology is suspiciously similar Mikhail Bulgakov’s famous line in ‘The Master and Margarita’ about “second degree freshness!”
Is there a single person, or economist, who expected to be paying same interest rates in 2007 as in 1996? Point - Libs era stunningly successful - akin to 50s/60s prosperity & jobs - until Labor won. No sensible case for change, esp with rates still low.
I hope Tony P (aka Liberal Stooge) is counting the positive and negative responses. I think this little poll will be reflected on election day. Sorry!