Field says internal division and hyper-partisanship have created ‘division and disloyalty’ within the party

The New South Wales Greens upper house MP Justin Field has announced he is quitting the party because of internal division and “hyper-partisanship”.

Field intends to continue as an independent member in the upper house.

He made the announcement online on Friday morning, citing his concerns over the party’s “hyper-partisanship and winner takes all approach”, saying it had created “division and disloyalty” within the NSW Greens.

Field said he wanted to use the next four years in parliament to work on environmental issues rather than focus on internal reform.

He raised concerns about the NSW election results of last month, which could put the Shooters, Farmers and Fishers party and One Nation in the “box seat” in the upper house.

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“An ideological opposition to working with any one side of politics is pointless when it manifestly fails to deliver outcomes and will ultimately empower the Shooters and One Nation,” he said in his online statement on Friday.

The MP will join One Nation’s Mark Latham on the crossbench.

The legislative council count is continuing for the final three spots, which could include Liberal Democrat David Leyonhjelm.

Field, who entered the upper house in August 2016 to fill a vacancy created after John Kaye died, said some people would suggest he resign from parliament altogether.

“Some will say I am only in this position because of the work of thousands of Greens members and I should therefore resign from parliament if I am no longer a Greens member,” he said in the statement.

“Many who supported me in the job have left the party for many of the same reasons I have, and I intend to honour my commitment to them and the NSW community.”

Field said the rise of independents in Australia was partly driven by the division within political parties, which he said seemed “incapable” of working together.

The NSW Greens co-convenor, Rochelle Flood, has called on Field to resign so that his spot can be filled by a Greens member.