Mark Coure, who had a big win in the seat of Oatley, was top of the list when Premier Mike Baird singled out eight ‘‘heroes’’ at the the first meeting of the parliamentary Liberal Party since the March 28 election.
Melanie Gibbons, who was victorious in Holsworthy — formerly Menai — was among the group.
‘‘Their campaigns were outstanding and they showed what you can achieve, not just with a positive message, but by understanding your local community and working with your local community,’’ Mr Baird said.
Eleni Petinos, who won Miranda, was among members welcomed by the Liberal team.
Mr Baird showed the strain of a tough election campaign when, after addressing MPs who served in the last Parliament, he forgot to call in the new faces.
After being reminded, he laughed at his oversight and declared it ‘‘the piece de resistance’’.
Mr Baird was also presented with a cake in the shape of the state to mark his 47th birthday today.
Mr Baird told the meeting the election result showed ‘‘hope can triumph over fear’’.
‘‘I am proud of everyone in this room because we fought for what was right for this state,’’ he said.
‘‘We faced a scare campaign unprecedented in the state’s history and we stared it down...’’
‘‘Despite what we saw we did not go to the gutter, we stayed positive and we won.’’
Mr Baird said the focus now was on delivering.
‘‘We made a number of commitments to the people of NSW and I can assure you we will meet every single one of them,’’ he said.
‘‘It’s time to get cracking.’’
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