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By Bill Mason BRISBANE — The proposed sale of one-third of Telstra by the federal Coalition was the target of a large public meeting in the Town Hall here on February 13, with speakers from a variety of parties and community groups condemning the sell-off as a handout to the multinational corporations and a threat to telephone services. The 500-strong meeting launched a national campaign to stop the sale. Jean Bowden of the Save Telstra Campaign said the group would seek a signed personal pledge from every candidate in the election to vote against any proposal to sell part of Telstra. Bowden said issues involved in the sale included the threat of timed local calls, telephone affordability in rural and remote Australia, foreign ownership and the loss of opportunity to apply public pressure on policy and pricing. Communications Minister Michael Lee, along with other candidates on the platform, signed a personal pledge not to vote to privatise all or part of Telstra. Democrats leader Senator Cheryl Kernot said her party would block the sale of Telstra in the Senate if a coalition government took office. She warned voters to be wary of Labor's promises not to privatise Telstra in light of the government's previous record. Kim Linden reports from Melbourne that a protest against privatisation of Telstra was held on February 15, organised by the communications division of the Communication, Electrical and Plumbers Union. The rally leaflet, authorised by the CEPU, urged people to vote Labor on March 2. Around 1000 protesters assembled at Treasury Gardens and then marched to Parliament House to hear Len Cooper, state secretary of the CEPU; Democrats leader Senator Cheryl Kernot; the federal minister for trade, Senator Peter Cook; Leigh Hubbard, secretary of Victorian Trades Hall; and Martin Ferguson, ALP candidate for Batman. Doreen McDonald of the CEPU read out a statement from Greens candidate Peter Singer, whose invitation to speak was withdrawn. Cook pledged that Labor would not privatise Telstra. This is despite the fact that the name change from Telecom to Telstra symbolises the fact that it has already been corporatised by the ALP, the first step towards privatisation. Hubbard advised the rally to look at the impact of the Victorian Liberal government's privatisation of electricity. Ferguson ended the rally urging the crowd to "support the progressive forces in Australia". The protesters then marched through the city.