The federal government remained committed to selling off the remainder of Telstra subject to it meeting its service obligations to rural Australia, Prime Minister John Howard said today. He said he was confident a fully privatised Telstra could be kept to its obligations through legislation. "Our policy, subject to being completely satisfied in relation to arrangements concerning rural Australia ... (is) to sell into private hands the remainder of Telstra," Howard told Brisbane ABC radio. "But can I just point out that Telstra is now part-owned by the government and part-owned by millions of Australian shareholders and it's not good for the long-term wealth of the country (for it) to be part-public and part-private." He said a re-elected coalition government would cement in place Telstra's community service obligations.