I have made the decision to leave the NSW Greens and sit as an independent member of Parliament in the NSW upper house. It has not been an easy decision and I leave the Greens with a mix of sadness and optimism. I’m not trying to start a new party and I won’t be attacking the Greens. I leave knowing many good people are trying to salvage the promise of a party that can genuinely do politics differently.

I wish them well in those efforts but I won’t be there. I want to use the next four years to work on the issues, not internal reform.

Justin Field, leaving the Greens to sit as an independent in the NSW upper house.

This is a critical decade for climate action and reversing the decline of the natural systems that make the planet liveable. More than ever we need to build a political consensus to provide for a safe and healthy future for all and I believe I can contribute more effectively to that work as an independent MP.

The issues within the NSW Greens are part of a much broader problem with politics in this country. Political parties are often internally focused and riven by ideological fights. Political debate is hyper-partisan, combative and often violent, intolerant of difference, uncompromising, and disconnected from the lives of voters. Collaboration and compromise are rare.