In February last year, when the state election was called, I wasn’t even sure if I was going to run as a candidate. Five elections in six years had left me feeling drained and 8 kilos lighter. But I decided to run one last time.

I felt I owed it to those who supported and believed in me over the years. Everyone was saying I didn’t have a chance.

On election night, Eric Abetz and Kevin Bonham wrote me off. But somehow I managed to scrape in, on the smallest primary vote in Tasmanian history (5.1%).

I’m certainly not your typical politician. I sleep outside, in a swag, I didn’t own a computer, I don’t take notes, I don’t shave and I didn’t have a clue how Parliament worked.

While I was never going to cut my hair or wear a suit, I’ve made a few changes to try and fit in. I’ve dusted off an old op shop jacket for parliament. I’ve bought a new pair of jeans, and some shoes. But I’m from the working class – the people the Labor party used to represent. I know from personal experience what it’s like to have your power cut off, to suffer from chronic pain, to have no money, to hit rock bottom.

I know how hard it is to pull yourself out of a hole. I want to be a voice for those people, the people who get left behind or fall through the cracks.

I’ve had to learn a lot of things very quickly, but I’ve also been helped considerably by the parliamentary staff and fellow independents. It took over eight months to get an electoral office up and running. Before that I was working out of my car. Now I’ve got an office and a great team, and we’re ready to take on the government.

Although I’m comfortable speaking in front of crowds, the formality and strangeness of Parliament has been a shock to the system. I’ve been told by the Speaker of the House that some of my words and phrases are ‘unparliamentary’. But in my view, my manners are much better than most of the Members in there.

I expected them all to be lyin’, cheatin’, schemin’, no-good, double-dealing bastards. And some days Parliament reminds me of the schoolyard. The clubs, the historical grievances, the bad behaviour, the pettiness. But outside Parliament they’re all decent, normal people trying to do the best they can in the circumstances they’re in.

I often find myself speaking to an empty chamber when its my turn to get up, because most MPs have made their minds up well before the debate. They’ve been told how to vote on a Bill or a Motion by their party leaders.

So, when I speak, I’m speaking to people who might be watching this online, and on Facebook. If I only achieve one thing in this term of Parliament, it is to educate and engage my community about what Parliament does and how it rolls. Social media plays a big part in that process.

I came into Parliament wanting action on some key issues and I made the mistake of thinking things would happen right away for me. I now understand as an independent, I need support from one or other of the major parties to get an outcome. And those major parties represent the big end of town. For them the environment always takes a back seat to ‘jobs and growth’.

As a professional fisherman, preserving our wild fisheries is personal. Over the last three decades I’ve seen firsthand how they’ve been neglected, how so many key fish species are in decline.

I’ve also seen how marine environments can bounce back when we stop polluting them, like here in Bass Strait, and there is no way Im going to let the salmon industry or ‘big energy’ ruin what’ve got here.

Without the environment, there are no jobs and growth.

I do feel frustrated when I see things that are clearly broken, like our environment, our health care system and our education system that no-one is doing anything to fix.

But I’ve also seen what happens when governments rush into things, when they don’t plan properly, ask the right questions, listen to the people. That’s when mistakes and delays happen.

The bigger the project, the bigger the mistakes and the cost blow-outs: The Spirits debacle and the Devonport Berth 3 upgrades. The stadium.

What I have found frustrating is the arrogance and ignorance of the major parties. They aren’t interested in hearing what others have to say. They know best.

I see this time and time again; when the Government engages in community consultation on Bills its proposing, only to completely ignore what the public have to say; when Committees and independent experts make recommendations only for the Government to give them lip-service or even attack them.

Although progress has been slow, this minority parliament is making a big difference. Michael Ferguson would still be the Treasurer and Minister for Infrastructure if the Liberals were governing in majority. This Liberal Government has been held to account by Labor and Greens’ motions forcing transparency.

My motion for an independent review of TasNetworks response to the major power outage last year, David O’Byrne’s Bill criminalising industrial manslaughter, the Greens’ Bill to reduce the timeframes and the threshold for disclosure of donations to political parties. None of these would have happened under a majority Liberal government.

I know the major parties see me as a threat. Not just me, but what I represent: real independence, real accountability and a willingness to call out the bullshit. I know they’re watching, waiting for me to trip up. I also feel the responsibility to prove that independents can work in Braddon, can be good for government, and improve our democracy.

On the flip side, I feel like I’m getting a lot of support. A lot of people stop me on the street and tell me to keep up the good work, tell me I’m doing a good job.

It makes me feel good, but I’m not here to get re-elected.

I’m here for outcomes.

I’ve had to fight for everything in my life. I’ve been fighting the salmon industry for 25 years and I’ll keep fighting because I know things will change for the better.

My hope is that the change will occur sooner rather than later, so that I can move on from politics and give others a go at fighting for the community on issues they are passionate about. Being an MP takes its toll. I hardly see my young family. I’m away more than I’m home. There’s no clock-off time.

And if you’re doing it properly — turning up, listening, reading, helping people — it’s all-consuming. No-one is doing this job for the money alone – you couldn’t pay someone enough for the sacrifices you have to make.

I understand that change is gradual, so I’m prepared to run again, if I must, to ensure Braddon continues to have a strong independent voice for the community, the environment and the future of Tasmania.

Craig Garland is a north-west Tasmanian, fisherman and grassroots community advocate turned independent Member of Parliament. He was elected to stand up for the electorate of Braddon in State Parliament’s House of Assembly, following years of campaigning for better fisheries management and speaking out on many other Tasmanian issues.

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