But did he fully realise how hard it would be?

This week’s sacking of Katrina Hodgkinson and Chris Gulaptis from their parliamentary secretary roles was the latest repercussion from Mr Baird’s announcement in July that the greyhound racing industry in this state would be shut by July next year.

Ms Hodgkinson and Mr Gulaptis were initially praised by their Nationals leader Troy Grant for their courage to vote against the legislation to ban the sport.

Days later, however, they had been given a very public punishment.

The message to the two parliamentarians was clear, though the Coalition, naturally, was at pains to avoid admitting as much.

Whether Mr Baird anticipated it or not, the issue continues to fester – encouraged by Labor leader Luke Foley as much as by anyone - and will possibly continue to do so until the industry ceases to be in this state in less than a year’s time.

But if Mr Baird has shown anything, it is that he is not a man for turning.

He has shown that in his dogged insistence on council amalgamations and in his wide-ranging agenda on infrastructure construction in the state capital, which has put many groups offside.

Rather than waiting for the unrest over previous decisions to die down – and the council amalgamation issue does seem to have quietened after reaching its zenith at the noisy first meeting of the Inner West Council – Mr Baird seems quite prepared to move on to the next big decision without any appreciable pause.

An interview with Mr Baird in the metropolitan media recently was instructive.

‘‘Talking to politicians post their time in politics there is a consensus view among them in their honest moments that they have regrets that they didn’t do more and they didn’t take more risks,’’ he told the interviewer.

‘‘I don’t want to get there.’’

It seems unlikely that Mr Baird will get there, considering the breadth of the changes – electricity privatisation, council amalgamations, new Sydney train lines, the WestConnex and the greyhound racing ban – he and his government have introduced in a short period.

Mr Baird has his enemies, no doubt about that. But will he have his regrets?