"I will roll out policies that will challenge the NSW Greens’ Marxist agenda and represent a more genuine green platform aimed at real results rather than posturing." Mr Buckingham said he had received legal advice that NSW Greens could not force him off the ticket, but he believed his re-election prospects were better as an independent than from the party's likely-unwinnable third ticket spot. In another swipe at his factional enemies in the party's hard left wing, who he labelled "quasi-communist", he said the party had been consumed by "divisive identity politics" and "an anti-capitalism agenda". "To say that the first thing you're going to do to act on climate change is tear down the entire socio-economic system is madness," Mr Buckingham said. Mr Buckingham had been at the centre of a civil war within the NSW Greens organisation, which earlier this month voted that he "vacate" his third spot on the party's NSW upper house ticket after he was accused of sexually harassing a Greens employee.

In a move which divided the partyroom, Greens MP for Newtown, Jenny Leong, used parliamentary privilege last month to accuse Mr Buckingham of "sexual violence". Loading Ms Leong's speech to Parliament related to a complaint lodged with the party in April by former Greens employee Ella Buckland, who accused Mr Buckingham of sexual harassment during an incident in 2011. An independent review found the allegation could not be substantiated. Greens NSW Co-Convenor Rochelle Flood did not respond to Mr Buckingham's attacks on the party, but in a short statement said the party welcomed his decision.

"The Greens look forward to running a strong campaign ahead of the state election and to delivering real progressive change for the people of NSW," Ms Flood said. Mr Buckingham, who will run under the name "real green independent" said he would lead an upper house ticket of "progressive independents", and would consider "collaborating" with other candidates to contest certain lower house seats. He named Ms Leong's seat of Newtown as the electorate he was most interested in contesting. His resignation will leave the party grappling with the dilemma of how to replace him on the ticket. The party has so far failed to resolve this issue, despite upper house Greens MPs Cate Faehrmann and Justin Field - Mr Buckingham's factional allies - threatening to quit the party unless a "democratic recount" of the preselection was held.