Telstra was privatised in three different stages informally known as T1 ($3.30), T2 ($7.40) and T3 ($3.60) in 1997, 1999 and 2006 respectively.^[6][7] In T1, the government sold one third of its shares in Telstra for A$14 billion and publicly listed the company on the Australian Stock Exchange.^[6] In 1999, a further 16% of Telstra shares were sold to the public, leaving the Australian government with 51% ownership. In 2006, T3 was announced by the government and was the largest of the three public releases, reducing the Government's ownership of Telstra to 17%.^[8] The 17% remainder of Telstra was placed in Australia's Future Fund, which will provide superannuation and pensions for Australia's public servants.^[9] In 2009 the Future Fund sold off another $2.4B worth of shares reducing the government's stake in Telstra to 10.9%.<sup>[10]

Ps  I stand too be corrected</sup>

So exactly what point are you trying to make here Jimbo??

We the taxpayers always get left with the bit that cost money to maintain the bits that make a profit are swiftly sold off to vested interests . The power net work is exactly the same  we own the maintenance intensive  copper and the generators have been sold to vested interests

By the time this latest NBB is rolled out it will be about a fast as dial up is now . How they will get you take up the NBB is they will fail to maintain the board band we have now so we will get fed up with it and change over , they did it with dial up to get you hooked on the current broadband You will take it up or else, we have ways of making you do as your told.

I am just trying to work out who is to blame that many of our new housing estates, two that I know about personally, cannot get a landline.  One of these areas namely Hoppers Crossing/Werribee/Tarneit is in Julia Gillards electorate.  The fact is five years ago she came to a public meeting in Werribee about this very matter, big promises but nothing happened.  Businesses and private homes in this area are only offered wireless which drops out up 15, 16 times a day.  

Privatisation has wrecked this country!
The government went from providing utility services to its people, to capitalising on commercialism.
Then we the people have to pay the price.
For everyone who puts in solar or other power supplying technology and saves money on powering their home, costs their inactive neighbour much more to keep up the profit margin of the private companies which now control the power supplies.
Tollways are another great example. Tolls were introduced to pay for the road, bridge etc., as the Sydney Harbour Bridge.
Now every major expressway or highway in the cities has tollways on them, except Adelaide, Darwin and Perth.
The private company which runs the tollways gets the money. Do they lease the infrastructure for which they charge a toll, from the government?
I doubt it.
What percentage of the tolls charged goes back to the government for the management of the infrastructure?
Meanwhile the company shareholders and executives reap huge, indecent profits.
Does the taxpayer, road user, consumer get anything out of it? Yes.
Bigger bills and less service.
Did the government make the decision with the best interest of the people and the country a priority?
I doubt it.
When will the governments start making long-term decisions with the long-term interest of the people and the country as the priority?

Don't know  what I mean anymore Granny...LOL