Helen Burnet, the recently elected deputy speaker of the lower house, has created an earth-shaking declaration. She will be departing from the Tasmanian Greens to sit with the crossbench. She scored this major victory less than two years after winning her first election. In the recent 2024 state election, she was elected to the Tasmanian parliament, where she is now one of three Greens members. Burnet chose to resign from the party. She hopes to address big issues facing her constituents and the greater community in a more impactful way.
Burnet had a strong basis for re-election, winning 0.56 of a quota at the 2025 state election. She won her place as the fifth member to win a seat in the very marginal Clark electorate. Her deep commitment to her constituents has been proven during her long tenure in parliament. Today, she feels her new path will allow her to significantly increase her reach and better focus her energy on the issues that interest her and match her ideal beliefs/values.
Acknowledgment of Support
In her victory announcement, Burnet thanked the members and the Greens’ army of volunteers for their tireless dedication to this historic campaign. In doing so, she acknowledged the history-making disappointment her leaving will bring to party members.
“I know this will be disappointing for some and perhaps not unexpected for others,” – Helen Burnet
Burnet made it clear that her resignation was not a rash decision. She acknowledged that her position “might not come across too well with many of you.” She really focused in on her deep commitment to remain engaged in the political conversation from the other side of the aisle.
Political Landscape Shift
With Burnet having departed, this is now down to four members, the Greens’ lowest representation in the Tasmanian lower house. To this day, they hold on to that one member in the upper house. This change is taking place as political winds in Tasmania are shifting. Now the onus shifts to the other Greens members who must make a quick turn to suit. They will have to completely change their game plans and agendas in the wake of Burnet’s exit.
Dr. Woodruff, the primary leader of the Greens party, has not publicly responded to Burnet’s resignation so far. People are most interested to know how this may impact their party’s future. This lack of commentary from party leadership could be indicative of current conversations about where to go next and how to get there.
Commitment to Community
In her statement, Burnet reaffirmed her dedication to serving her constituents, stating, “While I will make my voice heard in a different way, my beliefs and values remain the same.” Her desire to improve collaboration, accountability and effectiveness bodes well for her desire to focus on the real needs of the locality with greater energy and resolve.
“I resign from the Greens with the clear intention of being more effective, accountable and heard on matters that are important to our state and the community of Clark,” – Helen Burnet
