The art of the public apology

ACT leader Rodney Hide's apology for suckling from the public teat - from Hawaii to London - was humble and unqualified. He looked tired, he looked worn. His head was down.

He spoke haltingly of his shame at his "casual use" of taxpayers' money. "That was wrong," he told a press conference. "I have made mistakes, I have shown poor judgment. For that I am sorry."

Jetsetting Maori Party MP Hone Harawira's apology for an abusive email tirade was at the other end of the spectrum. "I apologise to the party, because the party has done many wonderful things to advance Maori aspiration, and I know that my words have caused considerable damage," he said. But, he continued, he stood by the essence of his words. He blamed the media for a "beat-up", and Labour leader Phil Goff for "the cheek of the bastard".

"If I should be suspended for my language, he and his mates should be lined up against the wall and shot," an unrepentant Mr Harawira said.

The same day in the UK, an apology by British Prime Minister Gordon Brown was perhaps the most masterful piece of public interaction ever achieved by the dour, emotionally-disconnected Scotsman.

Hounded by the Sun tabloid newspaper for an apology to Jacqui Janes, the mother of a 20-year-old soldier killed in Afghanistan, he spent 13 minutes on the phone to her, trying to express his regret at his poor handwriting and spelling in his condolences note.

"I've tried to reflect my personal sadness at the loss of your son, er, and I don't want to have any, erm, argument with you about it," he told her, stiltedly.

A transcript of the conversation was splashed across the Sun the next day. So, finally, Brown manned up and called a press conference. He was contrite. There was a quaver in his thick brogue.

"I understand very well the sadness she feels, and the way she has expressed her grief is something I can also clearly understand," he said. "I wanted to say that during my conversation with her, but thought I could not really do so because I do not know her, that when there is a personal loss as deep and immediate as she has experienced it takes time to recover."

Former BBC political journalist Nicholas Jones, addressing the Institute of Communications Ethics conference at Coventry University last month, suggested apologies were becoming a foundation of political spin.

"Rushing out a rehearsed apology - including the 'S' word - is usually nothing more than a meaningless cosmetic," he said.

So today, we rate 10 of the most masterful public apologies. Some are humble and genuine. Some are remarkable for their clever use of the English language. Some are just brazen.

Richard Nixon
Crime: The US president's knowledge of plans to burgle and wiretap political opponents was revealed, forcing his resignation.

Apology: "I let down my friends. I let down the country. I let down our system of government, and the dreams of all those young people that ought to get into government, but think it's all too corrupt. I let the American people down, and I have to carry that burden with me for the rest of my life. My political life is over."

Verdict: 9/10

Made all the more meaningful by his years of refusal to acknowledge any wrong-doing, before the climactic apology to British interviewer David Frost.

Sienna Miller
Crime: The actress, then 24, incurred the wrath of Pittsburgh's residents by calling the city "a profane name that rhymes with Pittsburgh", as the American media so delicately phrased it.

Apology: "What I have seen of it is beautiful. I came once before to visit The Andy Warhol Museum whilst researching a film, and found both the city and its inhabitants warm and gracious."

Verdict: 3/10

Do you find this convincing? Neither did the people of Pittsburgh.

Kanye West
Crime: Storming onstage at the MTV Video Music Awards to seize 19-year-old singer Taylor Swift's best female video trophy, and declare Beyonce should have won it.

Apology: "I feel like Ben Stiller in Meet the Parents when he messed up everything, and Robert De Niro asked him to leave. That was Taylor's moment, and I had no right in any way to take it from her. I am truly sorry."

Verdict: 6/10

Two apologies on his blog, and one on The Jay Leno Show. Music's biggest ego looked truly crushed.

Helen Clark
Crime: As Prime Minister, she offended the delicate sensitivities of the Bush Administration by suggesting that the Iraq war might never have happened if Democrat Al Gore had won the controversial 2000 presidential election.

Apology: "I'm a politician not a diplomat - people are usually in no doubt what I mean about things. That's why I was surprised an inference was taken, which was never intended. Let me say for the record, I have met the president several times. I find him, as an individual, an engaging and likeable person, and it is not my intention to personally offend him in any way. Quite the contrary."

Verdict: 7/10

Hmm, if she apologised for anything, it was for the stupidity of listeners in reading something into her words that she never intended. Clever - though perhaps not a vote-winner.

Norm Hewitt
Crime: The All Black smashed a plate glass window and terrified the house's occupants, while on a drunken binge before a Hurricanes-Highlanders game.

Apology: "I am not here to excuse my behaviour ... It was thoroughly and totally wrong, and I wish to apologise to the two people in Queenstown who I upset and frightened with my actions."

Verdict: 10/10

Genuine tears, remorse - and a subsequent life-change for the better - from one of rugby's hard men.

Miley Cyrus
Crime: The sweet-faced 16-year-old Hollywood actress, already in trouble with her Disney bosses for posing provocatively with her father in a magazine shoot, followed up by making slanty-eyed faces in snapshots.

Apology: "I want to thank all of my fans for their support not only this week, but always! I really wanted to stress how sorry I am if the photo of me with my friends offended anyone ... I have learned a valuable lesson from this, and know that sometimes my actions can be unintentionally hurtful."

Verdict: 4/10

Naive, ditzy - just the sort of apology the tween queen's fans would love.

Australia
Crime: A generation of Aboriginal children were taken from their families. But Prime Minister John Howard's crime, in the eyes of many Australians, was his refusal to apologise - so they did it themselves.

Apology: "Sorry."

Verdict: 8/10

It's hard to argue with more than one million signed apologies from a nation's citizens.

Tony Veitch
Crime: Kicking his former partner Kristin Dunne-Powell in the back, fracturing two of her vertebrae, then trying to keep it quiet with a confidential payment.

Apology: "I hope average Kiwis will say, 'the bloke made a mistake ... it was inexcusable and maybe one day he'll be given a second chance' ... I feel like I've let down my wife and family. We have lost our house, where we'd planned to have our kiddies, and we've had to meet the significant legal costs."

Verdict: 1/10

A cringing plea for public forgiveness - but how about apologising to the woman whom he injured?

Bill Clinton
Crime: The US president had oral sex with intern Monica Lewinsky in an antechamber to the Oval Office - then lied about it.

Apology: "Indeed, I did have a relationship with Miss Lewinsky that was not appropriate. In fact, it was wrong ... I misled people, including even my wife. I deeply regret that."

Verdict: 4/10

He seemed far more sorry for himself than he did for his actions. And he failed to use the 'S' word.

Pope Benedict XVI
Crime: The Pope quoted a 14th century Byzantine Emperor, saying everything the Prophet Muhammad brought was evil, "such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached".

Apology: "I am deeply sorry for the reactions in some countries to a few passages of my address at the University of Regensburg, which were considered offensive to the sensibility of Muslims. These, in fact, were a quotation from a medieval text, which do not in any way express my personal thought."

Verdict: 3/10

He expressed regret at others' reactions rather than his words. Perhaps he had been taken out of context - but he should have known better.