Re: Public utility should be provided by public entity.
"The GPO was a real shitshow."
What britain FORCED on its ottawa agreement partners via "buy british" policies was also a shitshow.
The NZPO signed an agreement in 1971 to purchase a bunch of NEC crossbar exchanges but were forced to buy STC equipment via UK and NZ government interference. That ended up costing 5 timres as much to install due to it not working as supplied and not doing things that the NEC kit did as standard without EXPESNIVE "optional" extras (a bit like how cabin heating was an optional extra in a 1970s British car, but you couldn't actually BUY a British car without a heater.....)