Nationals incumbent Andrew Gee said the proposed 49 per cent privatisation of the electricity network had been surrounded by a scare campaign and Essential would be safe.

Asked whether Essential would remain public beyond the current commitment, Mr Gee said Deputy Premier Troy Grant made the assurance.

"He said the poles and wires will remain 100 per cent in public hands and that's good enough for me," he said.

"I was one of six MPs who opposed any privatisation of the assets and I would like to think by taking a stand, we got Essential quarantined."

The Coalition will also invest in mobile blackspots to speed up federal priorities.

However, Labor candidate Bernard Fitzsimon said Transgrid would be subject to the electricity privatisation deal and effects would be felt.

"It's like building a home you own and then re-entering the rental market," he said.

"My big concern is the job losses, the higher prices and the loss of the revenue stream."

Asked why Labor opposed the lease when former premiers Bob Carr and Morris Iemma had both attempted to privatise the sector and Kristina Keneally succeeded in selling the trading rights to the generators, Mr Fitzsimon said they were individuals and the party had never supported it as a whole.

"That's why they never got the full thing through," he said.

Greens candidate Janelle Bicknell said public assets should remain in public hands.

"In places like Victoria and South Australia where privatisation has occurred, they had an increase in electricity prices per kilowatt," she said.

"It will also make it very difficult to achieve any renewable energy projects."