NSW Premier Mike Baird has labelled current federal government turmoil an "internal distraction" that was "never helpful" ahead of the state's poll on March 28.
Fairfax Media reported today internal Liberal Party polling showed negative perceptions of the Prime Minister, Tony Abbott, risked wiping three percentage points off Mr Baird's vote, and potentially exposed Mr Baird to a loss of government.
But Mr Baird said he would welcome Mr Abbott on the campaign trail.
"There's no doubt the federal government is going through it challenges," he told reporters at Sydney's Westmead hospital on Saturday.
"The whole electorate is saying 'look after us, deal with the issues that matter to us'. Internal distractions are never helpful."
Mr Baird was at the hospital to announce more than $900 million of upgrades and additions, including a new emergency department and up to 14 operating theatres.
Speaking in New Zealand, Mr Abbott said he would continue to appear alongside Mr Baird in the lead up to the NSW election, especially on infrastructure issues.
"I imagine that in coming days and weeks you'll see lots of occasions when Mike Baird and I are together on projects such as WestConnex ... on projects like NorthConnex," Mr Abbott told reporters.
"I'm looking forward to working together with Mike Baird before the campaign, during the campaign and after the campaign."
The proposed appearances of Mr Abbott on the NSW election campaign trail mark a profound difference to the Liberal National Party's unsuccessful re-election campaign in Queensland, when Mr Abbott was rarely seen on the hustings.
Fairfax Media reported on internal Liberal Party polling showing Mr Baird was poised to win the NSW election on March 28 ahead of his opponent, Labor leader Luke Foley.
After announcing on Friday there was no "Plan B" for infrastructure spending if the privatisation of electricity poles and wires fails, Mr Baird has announced a no-strings-attached funding package of more than $900 million to redevelop Westmead Hospital.
"This is in budget and it is only in budget because we made the decisions that we had at the start of the term which is to get the budget under control to drive the economy," Mr Baird said at Westmead Hospital on Saturday.
The announcement came a day after he conceded he has "no Plan B" if his electricity privatisation agenda fails to deliver.
"Plan A is pretty exciting. And we will deliver, I can assure you," he said.
"We have negotiated with crossbenchers to get the legislation that was required in the state's interest. We are seeking a mandate from the people of this state to no longer have to look at infrastructure sites with tumbleweeds."
"The important point is Labor has no Plan A. People need to remember what they have done over the last 16 years - announce projects without any money."
Mr Baird has sought a mandate to partially lease the state's electricity "poles and wires" to fund $20 billion worth of new roads and other infrastructure.
Labor has vowed to keep the assets in public hands.
Mr Baird's government's $900 million investment for Westmead Hospital is more than twice the size of Labor's $430 million pledge.
The Westmead investment compromises $430 million already committed and more than $480 million in additional funds committed if the Baird government is re-elected.
It will include $750 million to upgrade Westmead's acute services building with an emergency department with up to 14 operating theatres, additional intensive-care beds and more inpatient beds.
The project will also construct a new car park and redevelop the adjoining Children's Hospital.
Project Westmead Hospital is part the Baird government's $5 billion spend on hospitals in NSW which includes a $200 million redevelopment of Hornsby Ku-ring-gai Hospital, $170 million for Wagga Wagga Base Hospital and $150 million for Dubbo Hospital.
Other new projects such as the new Rouse Hill Hospital and the redevelopment of Campbelltown Hospital are on top of the $5 billion.
Mr Baird claimed his infrastructure strategy would grow the NSW economy by $300 billion and provide more jobs.
He decried the plans of Mr Foley, for NSW as taking the state back to the "dark ages".
"It is up to people to judge. Personally I am about actions which have been positive. He wants everyone in Sydney to sit in more traffic and sit in crowded trains. The city deserves much better than that."
But Mr Foley is determined to win over the hearts of the people of NSW with infrastructure, demonstrated by his neck-and-neck NSW Business Chamber debate with Mr Baird on Friday and campaign billboards looming over Sydney's M4 freeway.
