Labor leader Luke Foley's aggressive anti-privatisation mantra appears to be cutting through, with Premier Mike Baird facing a few awkward moments in the dying stages of the NSW election campaign.
With two days until polling, Mr Baird campaigned in Sydney's west and even visited the Royal Easter Show on Thursday.
Amid the selfies, squealing school girls and produce tasting, Mr Baird was stopped by an elderly woman who demanded an assurance 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.
"You're quite safe voting for me, absolutely."
Earlier, Mr Baird had another uncomfortable moment in front of the cameras when a vegetable seller at Sydney's Flemington markets confronted him about the same issue.
Meanwhile, Mr Foley was in the state's south, where he plunged into the safe Liberal seat of Goulburn - held by Planning Minister Pru Goward - to announce a $270 million hospital if he was elected premier on Saturday.
But during his press conference, Mr Foley and his bevy of Labor supporters were orbited by a group of young Liberals who held signs bagging his plan, sparking a brief jostle as a sea of red Labor signs tried to block them.
The Labor leader earlier pressed home his concerns about a potential sale of parts of the electricity network to a foreign country, pointing out for the second day that parts of the transmission system provide power to federal parliament and military bases.
Mr Foley wouldn't be drawn on a CFMEU ad targeting the China deal, which was criticised as xenophobic and "fear-mongering" by Race Discrimination Commissioner Tim Soutphommasane.
"I can stand by what I've said all week - that I don't want any foreign government ... owning our sensitive and essential electricity network," Mr Foley said.
Mr Baird was later peppered with questions on privatisation at a media conference where he insisted the transaction would be a "lease" and not a sale, and said it would go ahead only in the best interests of NSW.
"We are in control," Mr Baird said on a day where he campaigned in Auburn, the seat Mr Foley is fighting to hold for Labor.
"It is a lease ... we take the rent upfront, we do it on our terms."
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.
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