News South Wales unions have launched their campaign ahead of the state’s March 28 election.

Unions NSW has the “NSW Not For Sale” to target the state government's plans to privatise the power industry, and get more private involvement in hospitals and TAFE.

The campaign will see TV, radio and digital advertising, while union members and sympathisers will undertake doorknocking and mass telephoning.

Recent ABC reports have shown the scale of the Baird Government’s privatisation spree so far.

“Office blocks, hospitals, schools and even an island are all up for grabs … In 2011-2012, the government sold state-owned assets worth $5 million,” news reports said.

“In late 2012, it established a new agency, Government Property NSW, to identify and manage the state's lucrative real estate portfolio. … Since April 2013, Government Property NSW has sold properties worth $1 billion.

“They have included seven office blocks worth $400 million, the Ausgrid building in Sydney's CBD for $151 million, and justice precinct buildings in Parramatta worth $170 million.

“It has also sold nine terrace houses in Millers Point for $22 million, and plans to sell another 293 of the historic properties,” the ABC reported.

While the Government says it needs the money to fund future infrastructure, Professor of Economics at Sydney University Frank Stilwell says it is not a good idea to sell increasingly valuable assets when the money can be borrowed quite cheaply.

“As a citizen it makes me angry and as an economist it makes me very sad because there's no great economic logic at work here,” Stilwell told reporters.

“This is short-term interest being pursued against the long-term interest of the people and I think people are smart enough to see that this is not good economic strategy.

“The problem in this case is that the sale of real estate assets tends to be done in dribs and drabs and isn't therefore quite as visible as the sale of electricity poles and wires, for example.

“So it tends to be done out of sight, but as soon as the people come to see what is happening, then I think one can expect that they will see it as bad economics, substituting short-term revenues for long-term economic management,” he said.

The NSW Nurses and Midwives Association (NMA) has launched a separate but related television ad campaign to speak out against the “Americanisation” of NSW public health.

The group says privatisation could leave people with insurmountable medical bills if they get sick.

The Socialist Alliance claims the “privatisation frenzy” by the Baird Government is “neoliberal insanity”.

“They seem intent on flogging off anything that moves,” Susan Price, Socialist Alliance candidate for the seat of Summer Hill said.

“The Socialist Alliance demands a complete end to privatisation of public assets, of whatever kind. We stand for the defence and extension of the public sector, and the funding of essential new infrastructure, such as hospitals, schools and public transport facilities, by nationalising basic industries, and taxing the rich and big corporations.”