✅ Plain-language lesson
From the 1980s onward, governments sold public assets:
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Energy companies
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Public transport
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Telstra
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Commonwealth Bank
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Childcare
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Aged care
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Vocational education
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Toll roads
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Ports
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Water infrastructure
Once services were sold, prices rose, and accountability disappeared.
When companies run essential services, profit becomes the priority—not the public good.
✅ Examples
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Energy prices became some of the highest in the world.
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Toll roads proliferate while public transportation struggles.
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Private childcare chains charge high fees.
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Aged care scandals exposed understaffing and profit-taking.
Privatisation did not benefit the public.
It benefited shareholders.
✅ Discussion Question
Which privatised service in your area causes the most frustration?