When Meander-based sawmiller Kim Booth took over the helm from Southern Green Nick McKim the feeling was the Greens' leadership was headed back to dark green roots.

With no deals or loyalty with the government and a conservative Liberal reign to face, activism was expected to again resurface.

For four years the party's leader — Mr McKim — sat in the cabinet of a dying government and was handed the thankless portfolios of schools and prisons.

Activism took a back seat in favour of co-operative politics, and for the first time Greens could control 40 per cent of the state budget.

By the time he and fellow minister Cassy O'Connor were sacked by then premier Lara Giddings and the March election came, the Greens suffered an 8 per cent swing against them.

With only three members left, the idea was floated that the party may not even need a leader, including by Mr Booth.

Analysts said at the time of Mr Booth's shock elevation it was a rejection of collaborative-style politics in approval of an antagonistic and hardline approach.

But we are yet to see this.

With governance a distant memory, the party is free to pursue all things green without fear or favour.

Instead, Mr Booth is chasing the tail of Labor on public sector job cuts during Question Time, more often than not two questions behind.

Perhaps because the Greens have been in government, both at state level and nationally, the party is now expected to appear as a legitimate alternative.

An internal dilemma brews — whether to be an activist or look like you can govern?

In the Greens' alternative budget — a bizarre document — funding for the V8 Supercars was left in.

While the image of the three Greens donning Red Bull Racing gear and cheering on Jamie Whincup is a funny one, it doesn't quite fit the direction expected of the party given the high levels of pollution V8s put out.

Mr Booth was criticised for reducing the irrigation scheme funding by $24 million in the same document.

Not a sure fire way to win back the rural electorates of Lyons and Braddon.

While Forestry Tasmania has remained Mr Booth's hobby horse, few other green issues have been chased this year in Parliament.

He did present a Tasmanian Charter of Rights and Responsibilities in response to the government's anti-protest laws, and the party has collectively got behind medicinal cannabis.

Mr Booth's Question Time narrative has been focused on public sector jobs and unions, an issue heavily adopted and carried by Labor.

Things aren't travelling well at a federal level either, as the party still licks its wounds from a halving of its vote.

It was reported earlier this year that South Australian senator Sarah Hanson-Young walked past a group of journalists and remarked that the Greens were "marching to a slow death" under Christine Milne as leader.

In the final sitting week of the Tasmanian Parliament for 2014 it will be interesting to see which green issues the leader brings to the house.

And so will the results of the quarterly EMRS polling.

As Senator Milne told the national Greens conference: "You build political capital in opposition and spend it in government."

Now is the time for the party to build that capital.