Premier Mike Baird admits there's "no plan B" if his centrepiece election promise to privatise the NSW electricity network is stalled in the upper house.
Mr Baird made the comments on Friday during his first televised debate with his Labor rival, Luke Foley, marking the unofficial start of the state election campaign.
The debate was at times heated but lacked any knock-out blows, and no clear winner appeared to emerge from the contest.
Mr Foley sought to link Mr Baird to unpopular Prime Minister Tony Abbott, repeatedly referring to the two as "mates" and "friends".
Mr Baird said the March 28 election presented a clear choice between his $20 billion infrastructure package to "transform" NSW and Labor's plan to condemn the state to more congestion and crowded trains.
But when asked what he would do if his proposed 49 per cent electricity lease plan was stalled in the upper house of parliament, Mr Baird replied: "Well, there's no plan B."
Mr Foley was quick to seize on that apparent slip-up.
"If he can't sell the electricity network and if he can't raise $20 billion, all of his promises mean nothing," Mr Foley said.
"In December he couldn't sell a power station. What makes you think he can guarantee his promises at this election?"
The Labor leader, who was speaking before a largely unsympathetic pro-privatisation crowd at the NSW Business Chamber event, said selling the electricity network would cause power prices to rise while starving the state of $1 billion of revenue a year.
Mr Baird said Mr Foley was taking his orders from union bosses who were opposed to privatisation.
"It is old Labor that is coming back and trying to get back into government," the premier said.
While Mr Baird insisted his plan would leave the state with 51 per cent ownership, he would not go into what future coalition governments might do.
"There are future governments in future years - I'm not going to make promises in 10, 15 years time," he said.
The Baird-led coalition is tipped to be returned in next month's election although Labor is expected to regain ground following their disastrous 2011 result.
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