Politics and family are not always an easy mix, but on Thursday, spouses, parents and children gathered in the ballroom of Government House to witness their loved ones being sworn into the NSW ministry.

NSW members of Parliament will enjoy a few days of family time over Easter, but many ministers in the Baird government will also spend the break digesting copious briefing notes on their new portfolios.

Gladys Berejiklian, a former banker and the state's first female Treasurer, has fewer than three months to prepare her first budget, as well as starting work on the central thrust of the government's upcoming term: part-leasing the electricity poles and wires for the best possible price.

"My absolute priority is to work with the Premier and the entire team to deliver on our election commitments and deliver good government to the people of NSW," the former transport minister said.

"The work starts as soon as we get back to our offices this afternoon."

NSW's first female Attorney-General, Gabrielle Upton, said the role was a great honour and a "heavy responsibility".

Premier Mike Baird says his 22-strong cabinet is the "best possible team" to lead NSW. It includes four MPs brought into the ministry for the first time: Niall Blair and Leslie Williams of the Nationals and David Elliott and Mark Speakman of the Liberal Party.

The cabinet reshuffle involved more changes than expected, and led to four MPs being dumped, including Liberals Matthew Mason-Cox and Jai Rowell.

Mr Rowell, a leading member of the party's right faction, defied Mr Baird in an upper house preselection battle. Mr Mason-Cox is his factional ally.

Asked why those MPs were stripped of their portfolios, Mr Baird said "it's all about merit, it all about performance and I think the people of NSW would expect nothing less".

He said despite an exhausting election campaign, the government has a "spring in our step" at the opportunity of another four years in power.

Nationals MPs Katrina Hodgkinson and Kevin Humphries were also dropped from the ministry.

Ms Hodgkinson was involved in a public battle with cabinet colleague Pru Goward last year over contesting the seat of Goulburn, and both MPs are said to have been damaged by the backlash in regional communities over coal seam gas, mining and land clearing laws.

In response to the demotions, Deputy Premier and Nationals leader Troy Grant said he wanted to address the challenges of regional NSW "with fresh eyes".

"In the National Party we're like a family, we all back each other up and we all serve in different capacities from time to time," he said.