Get the bad apples out of the barrel.

It’s not chaos, it’s time to get rid of the bad apples.

Too often, independent MPs are considered the bad apples in the barrel. Yet the bad apples are within the major parties, including the two leaders who don’t seem to be able to reach out beyond their party room.

Tasmania’s parliament isn’t broken because there are too many voices. It’s broken because the same two have shouted over everyone else for too long. Now, there’s finally a shift.

For decades, we’ve been told that stability comes from the major parties. That only Labor or the Liberals can govern responsibly. The moment independents or minor parties show up?

The story goes: “Chaos is coming.”

But let’s be honest. The real dysfunction comes from rigid, old-school party systems that refuse to share power, not from the people finally demanding they do.

And in 2025, the ones cracking that cartel open are the six independents and, to a lesser extent, the Greens. But here’s where it matters. The Greens cannot become the tail that wags the dog. Tasmania needs balance, not just a new ideological controller.

Parliament isn’t a prize, it’s a workplace

The major parties treat Parliament like a winner-takes-all contest. They’re not interested in working with others unless they have to. And when they do? They sulk, stall, or talk their way out of responsibility.

Case in point: the last term.

• A Premier triggered a snap election rather than negotiate with the crossbench.
• Labor refused to talk to the cross bench about an alternative.
• A Marinus Link contract was signed in caretaker mode with no scrutiny.
• TT-Line debt ballooned while Parliament was bypassed.
• A stadium project was pushed by the big two without a public business case.

Where was the stability in any of that?

Now, with no party holding a majority, they’re still inferring that independents for “instability.” As if governing with others is a problem, not a requirement in a functioning democracy.

Why independents matter more than ever

The six independents elected to this Parliament represent a genuine counterbalance to the machinery of the big parties. They’re not perfect, but they:

• Work with, not over, their communities.
• Don’t answer to donors or party bosses.
• Refuse to be whipped into silence.
• Negotiate in public instead of trading in fear.

They’ve forced conversations about health, housing, early education, cost of living, and regional fairness. They’ve done it all without the safety net of party protection.

And while the Greens play an important role, they cannot become a de facto coalition partner without scrutiny. Being principled is one thing. Being inflexible, or opportunistic, is another.

Tasmania deserves real negotiations, not new echo chambers in green.

A healthier kind of mess

Yes, minority parliaments are messy. But so is democracy, representation, and change.

We’ve been stuck in a two-party standoff for too long, where political insiders run the show and voters only get a say every four years. That system failed to deliver real housing solutions, real workforce planning, and real accountability.

Now, thanks to the six independents, Tasmania has a chance to do politics differently.

That’s not chaos. That’s evolution.

The Liberals and Labor are afraid of “instability” not because it threatens governance, but because it threatens their control.

The Greens risk falling into the same trap if they forget they’re meant to be one voice among many, not a kingmaker with no compromise.

So here’s the good news: This Parliament is harder to control, but it’s also harder to ignore.

And in Tasmania right now, that’s exactly what we need. Because the longer the bad apples remain in the barrel, the higher chance everything will sour.