Howard backs down on Snowy Hydro privatisation

"Now John Howard has backed down."

These words are so rare, they're priceless! They can't go unmarked. It seems that the Commonwealth, NSW and Victorian governments' plans to privatise the Snowy Hydro scheme has collapsed.

It's nice when these things happen, especially when all the other instances of privatisation have gone so horribly wrong for the public!

It seems the Greens are taking credit for the back-down, arguing the legal opinion they sought on the privatisation triggered the crisis. Perhaps they deserve it. Along with the Victorian independent MP Craig Ingram, of course. Though, oddly, the NSW Nationals party (conservative farmers etc) are claiming people power!

Odd when left and right converge on these things...