Does Ms Atkinson blandly assume that I, and all other voters, do not have the education and intelligence to understand the difference between leasing and selling of assets?

As a small business owner herself, I would have assumed that she had the intelligence to understand that by leasing 49 per cent of the electricity poles and wires, as the present government plans to do, we the public would still retain ownership of 100 per cent and control of the remaining 51 per cent (the majority) – but apparently she does not.

One would think – from the barrage of union-sponsored TV ads and letters from Labor candidates – that they consider we are happy to all be taken for mugs.

Do they also blithely imagine we have forgotten it was the previous Labor government that privatised the retail section of the electricity industry and the consequent soaring prices for power?

Please Ms Atkinson, try to be honest in your advertising.

Elvie Preo

Bega

With the NSW state election only days away, we think it fair to call on all major parties to publicly commit to bringing nurse/patient ratios in regional and country hospitals into line with those observed in capital city hospitals.

With our wonderful new hospital scheduled to be opened later this year, it would surely be a travesty if it was not able to deliver to our regional community to its full potential, because of a lack of skilled resources, including professional front-line nursing staff.

Why should people living in regional and country Australia be denied the same standard of health care afforded to their city cousins?

Anne and John Richardson

Wallagoot

The unions and Labor are running a massive scare campaign, spreading lies about poles and wires for this Saturday’s election.    

The simple truth is:

Privately operated electricity networks equal cheaper power bills.

In the last six years, electricity network prices under state-run businesses went up by 140 per cent in Queensland and 122 per cent in NSW.

In the same six years, network prices under privately operated business went down by 18 per cent in Victoria and 17 per cent in South Australia.

Network charges are set by the independent Australian Energy Regulator.

Network charges account for 48 per cent of a typical electricity bill.

Network price increases have been lower in states where networks are privately operated.

NSW residents are now paying more than they should.

The NSW Government will retain a 51 per cent holding in the electricity network.  

The Baird government’s plan to lease only 49 per cent of the NSW electricity network will recycle $20billion to re-invest in much-needed infrastructure, neglected for so long by Labor.

This includes $6billion for regional NSW.

Our area is served by the country based network, Essential Energy.

Essential Energy will remain 100 per cent government-owned and will not be leased.

Jon Gaul

Liberal Party member

Tura Beach

Warning - think before you vote!

My friend, who lives at Mogareeka, recently had a fault in his landline telephone.

He had to wait two weeks before a Telstra technician came all the way from Ballarat to repair his service. 

It worked for two days then failed.

He now has to wait a further two weeks before a Telstra technician will call again.

I worked for the PMG, Telecom and Telstra for 41 years. 

When I retired if a fault was reported before midday it was usually repaired that day.

Certainly by the next day.

Telstra is now a private company.

It does what it wants to maximise profit, mainly by reducing staff.

So before you agree at the state election that the poles and wires are sold to private enterprise you should think of the consequences to you if the power lines fail to your home.

So think before you vote!

Norm Austwick

Mogareeka