OPINION: What is to be done with the anger about the greyhound racing ban?

Those opposed to the ban itself or the way the ban has been handled – and it’s a varied group, ranging from those involved in the greyhound industry to conservative media commentators to those who are concerned about the mental health impacts – have kept the pressure on the NSW Government for months now, waiting for it to flinch.

The NSW Government, for its part, has been determined to show that its resolve has only grown in the face of the constant criticism.

The demotion of two Nationals MPs when they opposed the ban in parliament was a bad look for the Government, but the message was clear: the decision has been made, and it will not be changed.

Similarly, the decision to rush the legislation through the parliament looks to have been an attempt to show the ban’s opponents that there is now no going back.

But if Premier Mike Baird had any hope that the voices of anger would be quietened by the passage of the legislation, he would be sorely disappointed.

NSW Labor leader Luke Foley knows he is on a winner as he continues to stoke the anger about the ban, making frequent visits to the Central Tablelands as he keeps an eye on the upcoming Orange by-election.

And now comes the announcement that Sky News conservative broadcaster Paul Murray will present his Paul Murray Live program from the Bathurst dog track next week.

So who will blink first? Will the NSW Government change its mind or will the ban’s opponents decide that their efforts are futile and the best they can do is wait until the next state election and hope the Government is suitably punished at the ballot box?

Political reality would suggest Mr Baird would be unlikely to change his mind now.

If he did, he would lose the respect of all those who supported his ban and gain not an iota of respect from those who oppose it, who would only believe he was caving in to unrelenting pressure, instead of doing what he thought was right.

If he has lost votes because of his ban, they are well and truly lost now and unable to be retrieved.

Mr Murray is likely to find plenty of anger when he visits Bathurst next week.

But what can be done with that anger is another matter entirely.