Cash-strapped government (at all 3 levels), especially those who promise the sky always turn to 'privatisation' as the ultimate panacea. As history shows, allowing profiteering vultures close to the public trough doesn't work.
There are certain basic things that should never be allowed to be controlled by the private sector, such as:
hydro (generation and distribution)
gas (same)
public transit (urban, inter-city, transcontinental)
airports (part or whole)
telecommunications (the wires in the ground and overhead)
highways
bridges and other public infrastructure