The first was Premier Mike Baird’s announcement that greyhound racing would be banned from July 1 next year.

The second was that an Australian political leader had shown real leadership.

In that context, the details of the decision almost didn’t matter.

Much of Australia’s current political malaise has come as a result of political leaders placing more trust in polls and advisers than their own gut judgement.

We can blame that malaise for Kevin Rudd one day calling climate change the “great moral, environmental and economic challenge of our age” before later abandoning his own plans for a price on carbon.

We can blame that malaise for Julia Gillard ridiculously promising, after years in parliament and several months as prime minister, to finally reveal the “real Julia” in response to focus groups that found her campaigning had been too stage managed.

We can blame that malaise for Malcolm Turnbull taking a policy supporting a plebiscite on same-sex marriage to a federal election, despite believing himself that parliament should simply vote through the legislation.

That’s why it was so refreshing to see Mr Baird front the people of NSW and tell them that greyhound racing would be banned.

Mr Baird held the findings of a special commission into the sport and rather than drag out the decision for several more years he felt compelled to act.

Naturally, plenty of people disagree with his decision and it will no doubt cost him votes at the next election.

But that’s the reality of politics – at least it should be.

A politician who takes a firm stand on an issue rather than trying to find a compromised middle ground will usually win the grudging respect of voters.

John Howard was never a “popular” politician, but his decisive action on gun control early in his prime ministership bought him political capital that helped keep him in the job for the next decade. Had he squibbed that responsibility and instead sought to appease opponents of gun control he may never have regained that ground.

The best politicians aren’t in the job to be liked; they’re in the job to make decisions.

Mr Baird’s stance on greyhound racing certainly lost him some friends, but it also gained his some respect.