Premier Mike Baird's bid to ease concerns over his power sell-off plans has been met with scepticism after he was repeatedly urged by passersby on the campaign trail to keep the assets in Australian hands.
With two days until the NSW election, Mr Baird campaigned in Sydney's west and even paid a visit to the Royal Easter Show on Thursday.
Amid the selfies, squealing schoolgirls and produce tasting, Mr Baird was stopped by an elderly woman who demanded an assurance from him that the state's poles and wires would not be sold to China.
"If I thought you were going to go China's way, I would not vote for you, and I would like to vote for you," the softly-spoken woman said, clasping the premier's hand.
"Rest assured that I will do everything to look after us and protections will be in place," Mr Baird replied.
"So I would be quite safe in voting for you knowing that you're not going to do that?" she pressed him further.
"You're quite safe voting for me, absolutely," Mr Baird said.
Earlier in the day Mr Baird had another awkward moment in front of the cameras when a vegetable seller at Sydney's Flemington markets confronted him about the same issue.
"Keep the electricity in Australia ... don't send it overseas, we need it here," the man told the premier who laughed politely and replied "absolutely".
Mr Baird was later peppered with questions on the matter at a press conference.
He insisted the transaction would be a "lease" and not a sale and said it would only go ahead in the best interests of NSW.
"We are in control," he said.
"It is a lease ... we take the rent upfront, we do it on our terms."
Mr Baird also campaigned in Auburn in a seat Labor leader Luke Foley is fighting to hold onto for the ALP.
Businesses and homes in the electorate were plastered with posters of Liberal candidate Ronney Oueik with only a few small posters of Mr Foley spotted.
Mr Baird will spend the rest of the day campaigning on the Central Coast.
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