Mike Baird’s plan to sell NSW’s poles and wires has dominated the second leaders’ debate, with the premier insisting electricity prices will not rise under the plan.

At the televised face-off with Labor leader Luke Foley, held before about 100 swinging voters in Sydney’s west, Mr Baird was asked if he would give an iron-clad guarantee that leasing 49 per cent of the state’s electricity network would not increase power prices.

He answered by pointing to his election promise earlier on Sunday that former consumer watchdog chairman Allan Fels would take on the new role of electricity price commissioner to oversee the privatisation.

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“We said by appointing Allan Fels that under this lease we would not put upward pressure on prices, short, medium, long term,” Mr Baird told the debate.

Mr Foley dismissed Mr Baird’s guarantees as the “shortest of short-term fixes to get you through an election”.

The Labor leader asked Mr Baird what would happen if the new private operators decided to increase prices.

“When they put prices up what will you do about it – send them a nasty letter?” he said.

Mr Foley later pressed Mr Baird to call the transaction a privatisation amid recent comments from the premier the lease would leave the networks in public hands.

“Is this or is it not a privatisation, yes or no?” Mr Foley asked.

“We would retain full public ownership and we lease 49 per cent,” Mr Baird replied.

“So it’s not privatisation?” the Labor leader pressed.

“Do you understand the difference of a lease or not?” the premier said, to applause and laughter from the crowd.

Meanwhile, the premier asked Mr Foley to explain how the state’s economy had gone from “number eight to number one” under the Coalition.

“I wouldn’t be crowing about a 12.3 per cent youth unemployment rate on your watch,” Mr Foley hit back.

“I wouldn’t be crowing about unemployment going from 5.1 per cent to 6.3 per cent on your watch … it’s not all rosy.”

Mr Foley also used the debate to announce he was considering allowing prospective home buyers to pay stamp duty in instalments over several years.

Seven Network said Mr Foley had edged Mr Baird in the debate, with 56 per cent of its 163,000 online voters backing the ALP leader, despite a show of hands in the studio audience suggesting an overwhelming majority thought Mr Baird was the winner.

NSW voters go to the polls on March 28.

Viewers have voted & @Luke_FoleyNSW has come out on top following LIVE @Y7News debate http://t.co/Pqiyg0QGVs #nswpol pic.twitter.com/WgexA2HmXJ

— 7 News Sydney (@7NewsSydney) March 8, 2015

NSW Election leaders debate Mike Baird and Luke Foley in Sydney http://t.co/3BN1VR4j6k #sydney pic.twitter.com/78aOwPO30u

— Sydney News Now (@sydneynewsnow) February 27, 2015

LIVE STREAM: #nswvotes @mikebairdMP @Luke_FoleyNSW leadership debate: http://t.co/etZQyYeT4f pic.twitter.com/P36KaVDa8d — The Daily Telegraph (@dailytelegraph) March 8, 2015

– AAP