We have a magnificent new euphemism to enter our political language. It is a "communication error".
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
As in: "When minister Davidson realised her mistake, she apologised and corrected this communication error."
The leader of the ACT Greens, Shane Rattenbury, was referring to the untrue information given by his Greens colleague - and Mental Health Minister - Emma Davidson when this masthead revealed the level of staff discontent in her office.
On Friday, Ms Davidson said a complaint had been filed "which has not been discussed with me".
On Monday, after questions from The Canberra Times, she said it had, in fact, been discussed with her.
It was, you understand, a "communication error", according to Ms Davidson's leader, Mr Rattenbury.
So that's OK, we're told. Let's brush off reasonable concerns that this "error" may or should be considered a breach of ministerial standards.
She's said sorry, we can all just move on, we're told by Chief Minister Andrew Barr.
"Communication error" is a juicy euphemism - one for the connoisseurs.
It's up there with "wardrobe malfunction" - though skilled politicians can even turn a "wardrobe malfunction" to good use, like when Jacinda Ardern appeared in a TV interview with nappy rash cream daubed on her clothes. What better advert for a working mother?
But "misspoke" is the big one. Misspoke! As though the politician meant to say one thing and somehow a jumble of quite different words came tumbling out.
MORE ON DAVIDSON'S OFFICE:
There is an unwelcome tendency now for politicians to say they misspoke rather than just fronting up and admitting a mistake in plain language. Get something wrong but just say you misspoke, and the error is gone.
No doubt Ms Davidson and Mr Rattenbury assume a mere "communication error" performs the same magic.
Mr Rattenbury should know about misspeaking after saying "the 26th of January represented the day Captain Cook landed at Port Botany".
But, as every school kid knows, January 26 marks the landing of the First Fleet at Sydney Cove in 1788. The explorer James Cook landed at Botany Bay on April 29 in 1770.
But why can't politicians just say: "I got it wrong. I don't know what was in my head but it was a mistake, plain and simple"? And then even those rare words: "I'm sorry."
Mr Rattenbury's misspoke seemed to have been a genuine misspoke. It was an honest mistake.
The more common type is where politicians get caught out telling porkies.
Hillary Clinton once related how she had landed in Bosnia under sniper fire - only to be shown up by video of the peaceful landing.
She said she "misspoke". Neat, don't you think? Not admitting that she had spoken an untruth, just that it had come out the wrong way.
And Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he "misspoke" about phasing out the extraction of oil from the sands of Alberta. He did say it, but then Albertans were annoyed, so super-smooth Mr Trudeau said he had misspoken - not an actual retraction, then, nor an apology. Just slippery political language.
And "communication error" now joins "misspoke" in the dictionary of political euphemisms.
IN OTHER NEWS:
It should be said that the ACT government does seem to have quite a few communications difficulties these days.
Some of its press releases are clearly written in Venusian: "Ahead of the rollout of Canberra-wide FOGO collection, we are kickstarting a conversation," came from the office of the Minister for Transport, Chris Steele.
Apart from the terrible mixed metaphor (you don't kick-start a conversation), it is a triumph of jargon.
Maybe students in ACT schools should be given the text and asked to translate it into good, old-fashioned plain English?
What political euphamisms upset you? Should politicians just admit when they made a mistake and apologise? Or would that open them up to too much criticism? Let us know in the comments. Find out how to register so you can enjoy civil, friendly and engaging discussions. See our moderation policy here.
Steve Evans
Steve Evans is a reporter on The Canberra Times. He's been a BBC correspondent in New York, London, Berlin and Seoul and the sole reporter/photographer/paper deliverer on The Glen Innes Examiner in country New South Wales. "All the jobs have been fascinating - and so it continues."
Steve Evans is a reporter on The Canberra Times. He's been a BBC correspondent in New York, London, Berlin and Seoul and the sole reporter/photographer/paper deliverer on The Glen Innes Examiner in country New South Wales. "All the jobs have been fascinating - and so it continues."
