Black Panther said:
Even CUBA has privatised it's national phone company
So?
IMO, It all comes down to this question:
Would you rather Telstra in the hands of a private investor, who is only interested in making a profit
or
In the hands of the Government, who would (in theory) be mainly concerned with the service it is providing.
I would rather it in the hands of the government, because there is no way in hell regional services will be anywhere near acceptable once it is sold. Its just not financially viable. It is in Australians best interests for Telstra to be kept. Fair enough for companies like the Commonwealth bank, or Qantas, but Telstra provides an essential service which, quite simply, it will not provide to regional areas.
I would in fact argue a government 51% controlling stake in Telstra is probably the ideal amount. It ensures it provides the necessary service for all Australians, and it is reasonably privatised. Hell, its working right now, isn’t it?