C'mon is right on this one ... there are certain industries which should be publicly owned, either directly by the govt., or, through Crown Corporations. The two that come immediately to mind are power generation and supply, and rail transportation. Both tend to become monopolies, or at least end up in the hands of a limited number of companies, which then manipulate prices in order to maximize profits ... the gas, as in "petrol", companies are a prime example. They do not compete on the basis of price, even tho', in a capitalist model, this is what is supposed to happen. Major corporations abhor competition; it prevents them from screwing the consumer up the ass.
Here's a good example of a govt. controlled power company that works:
SaskPower - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia