Reflecting on the crisis that recently engulfed his government, and risked toppling deputy premier and Nationals leader Troy Grant, Mr Baird told the annual meeting of the NSW Liberals State Council "the past few weeks have been tough".

Mr Baird, who had personally championed the closure of the greyhound industry because of evidence of animal cruelty, said he had since reflected on the words of Sir Robert Menzies, who wrote in 1942: "If I have honestly ... arrived at a certain conclusion on a public question and my electors disagree with me, my first duty is to endeavour to persuade them ... if I fail at this my second duty will be to accept the electoral consequences and not run away from them."

Mr Baird said: "We will never be a populist government, but that doesn't mean we always get everything right. That doesn't mean we don't have to listen to the community."

He said he had made difficult decisions for the long-term future of the state.

"We heard concerns, we heard frank feedback and it is something I think in politics is incredibly important. But I want to be very clear, there is no mistaking this, my determination, my cabinet's determination, the government's determination to do the right thing continues.

"We are incredibly passionate, and that is what governments should be focusing on, on trying to achieve and taking every single opportunity they have to do the right thing, even when it's not the popular thing to do."

Mr Baird recalled receiving a text message from his 17-year-old daughter in the midst of the crisis, asking how he was. "I went home to Kerryn and said, are things really that bad?"