ARTICLE ON MAJOR FEATURES RECENT OF PRIVATISATION

Article The privatisation of Telstra began on the 3rd of April when the government announced plans for one of the largest privatisations in the world, a proposed US26 Billion dollar sale for Telstra. Prime Minister John Howard declared that the completed Telstra sale would be a gain for "mums and dads" and "ordinary Australians" who would suppose benefit by purchasing thousands of shares. In reality, the float will produce a bonanza for big investors, finance …

…examining the state of services in regional and rural areas. The Howard government is caught in a bind. It has to press ahead with the full privatisation of Telstra in order to stem the erosion of market confidence not only in the corporation but also in the Australian economy as a whole. At the same time, however, its moves in that direction threaten to further alienate rural voters and exacerbate tensions between the coalition parties.