Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - June 23, 2012, Winnipeg, Manitoba C M Y K PAGE A18 A 18 WINNIPEG FREE PRESS, SATURDAY, JUNE 23, 2012 TRENDS winnipegfreepress. com .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. O TTAWA - They may be among the hardest words to utter in the English language: " I'm sorry." Add aggressive partisan politics and the 24- hour news cycle to the mix, and admitting you screwed up gets even more painful - as Immigration Minister Jason Kenney discovered this week when he faced repeated demands to apologize publicly for calling Alberta deputy premier Tom Lukaszuk an " a-- hole." In public, Kenney doggedly refused to climb down. But he later phoned Lukaszuk directly to apologize. Why is it so hard for our elected officials to admit it when they stumble? " It's hard for anybody to apologize," said Frank Farley, a psychologist at Temple University in Philadelphia. He studies forgiveness and human emotion. " But for a politician, it's a gamble. If it goes wrong, it may show weakness." Politicians, he said, have to calculate whether an apology could " come back to bite them. The electorate can be sensitive and your career can be over in no time." Kenney's colourful language showed up in what he apparently thought was a private email exchange with Blaine Calkins, chairman of the Alberta Tory caucus. He accidentally hit " reply all" to Calkins' note and - like a prairie wildfire - the missive spread and made headlines. Another reason public figures often dodge an apology: Admitting error often obliges you to do something about it. " If you apologize for something, then you become responsible for it," said Jill Scott, a professor at Queen's University in Kingston who researches apology and forgiveness. " And if you're responsible for it, then that could require further action" such as making reparations or changing your behaviour. Scott pointed to Minister of Defence Peter MacKay staunchly denying claims he inappropriately used a government helicopter to return to the airport from a fishing trip in a remote area of Newfoundland as an example of this. Many critics felt he should have showed contrition, but MacKay insisted he used the chopper for legitimate government business. There's also the obvious reason politicians duck apologies: It's embarrassing. Even for people used to living life in the public eye, standing up and admitting you've done wrong makes even the most stoic among us red- faced. " Political life is a difficult one because your behaviour is in a fishbowl and what you do gets amplified in society and can destroy your career," said Farley. When Diane Ablonczy, now a Conservative cabinet minister but then an opposition MP, likened the prime minister of the day, Jean Chr�tien, to Serbian dictator Slobodan Milosevic, she ended up apologizing thoroughly. She admitted the experience was painful. " The pain really is knowing I had used poor judgment," she said. " I like to think we're perfect, I guess. I obviously am quite a ways from that." Finally, it's hard to sincerely apologize for a statement or act you don't believe was wrong in the first place. In Kenney's case, while it might not be a popular opinion - nor one appropriate to air in public - " there are certainly people who might agree with him and say, ' Yeah, that guy is an a-- hole," said Farley. Scott said a sincere apology is always the best policy. " People in the public are much more willing to forgive a wrongdoing than they are willing to forgive somebody who lies about a wrongdoing," she said. While many politicians pride themselves on their bulldog qualities in the political arena and often sneer at compromise, saying sorry is sometimes also a sign of strength, said Scott. When a politician accepts responsibility and asks for forgiveness, he or she keeps the power in their own court. - Postmedia News Here are some high- profile political apologies, and non- apologies: March 2012: Conservative MP Rob Anders, who was accused of falling asleep during a veterans affairs committee meeting, later apologized to Afghan war vets whom he had labelled " NDP hacks" and supporters of Russian strongman Vladimir Putin. Unsurprisingly, Anders was dropped from the committee. April 2012: International Development Minister Bev Oda " unreservedly" apologized for billing taxpayers the extra costs of her stay in a swanky London hotel during a conference. The apology came amid calls for her resignation. She kept her job. March 2012: NDP MP Pat Martin, facing legal action, apologized to a marketing group for comments he had made associating it with the robocall voter- misdirection scandal. The lawsuit continues. Martin didn't apologize for separate incidents of potty mouth others felt deserved contrition. He called Sen. Pierre Hugues Boisvenu as an " a-- hole" when the senator suggested murderers be given ropes to hang themselves. Calls for an apology led Martin to add: " Nobody elected this son of a bitch, he should keep his comments to himself." Boisvenu, meanwhile, did retract his own controversial remark. November 2011: Martin went on a Twitter rampage when the Conservatives tried to limit debate on a bill. " This is a f-- ing disgrace... closure again. And on the Budget! There's not a democracy in the world that would tolerate this jackboot sh--," he wrote. Martin refused to tweet " sorry." December 2011: Liberal MP Justin Trudeau apologized for calling Environment Minister Peter Kent a " piece of sh--" over comments he made in the Commons about attendance at an international climate change conference. November 2011: Newfoundland and Labrador's lieutenant- governor, John Crosbie, a former federal cabinet minister, did a non- apology apology after making a joke about suicide bombers from Pakistan. " If anyone... thinks the joke is offensive, or there's something wrong with it, well I'll apologize to them, sure," he said. September 2008: Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz, under fire over a rash of listeria deaths, ended up having to apologize for a questionable joke he made in a teleconference about the outbreak. During the call, he joked about the political fallout of the crisis, saying, " This is like a death by a thousand cuts, or should I say cold cuts." His apology came " without reservation." November 2000: Prime Minister Jean Chr�tien offered a sort- of apology for a joke that appeared to suggest he didn't like politicians from Alberta. " If it's misinterpreted, I'm sorry," Chr�tien said during an election swing. Chr�tien had joked: " I like to do politics with people from the East. Joe Clark and Stockwell Day are from Alberta. They are a different type... I'm joking... I'm serious." April, 2001: Then- Canadian Alliance MP Diane Ablonczy apologized, expressing " deep regret" for associating Chr�tien with Yugoslavian strongman Slobodan Milosevic. She even went so far as to admit it was painful to have shown such poor judgment. " I was really disappointed in myself," an emotional Ablonczy said in an interview after the one- minute apology that was punctuated twice by applause from both sides of the House. " Clearly many people felt it was offensive. I made a big mistake, an error in judgment and I think when you do that you just have to own up to it and ask people to forgive that." Sorry seems to be the hardest word ... especially if you're a politician With no apologies, here's our hall of shame list By Teresa Smith Bev Oda: apologized, kept her job A_ 18_ Jun- 23- 12_ FP_ 01. indd A18 6/ 23/ 12 12: 13: 09 AM ;