Too right, just the volume of squealing from those who have a culture of "saving face" that is the difference.
That's exactly it.
The phone tapping itself wasn't really the issue, it's the way Tone handled it. Instead of contacting Yudhoyono directly behind closed doors and trying to work something out, he got up in our parliament and essentially said "yeah big whoop everyone does it mate" - just in time to make the Indonesian headline news. Now everyone there thinks Australia's new PM is a dick, so regardless of what the president thinks, his hands are tied and he has lost whatever public support there was for his backing of Australia.
I said "nice one, Tony" because he simultaneously set our relationship with Indo back to the Timor days, and scuttled (excuse the pun) his 'boats' plan. Let's face it, diplomacy isn't his strong point.