It went something like this: "I won't get caught out like that again. They just use you; work you like a Trojan and then take all the glory. I busted my gut and got nothing in return. You just watch over this next term."

I did watch, and at the next election the supposedly enlightened backbencher lost their seat.

This is the great problem for the modern backbencher. They are the foot sloggers for cabinet, where ministers take all the credit.

For a tight ship like the Hodgman government, the humble backbencher lives in a straight jacket and has to put the vast majority of their trust in their ministerial colleagues getting it right, and maintaining the party vote.

Backbenchers are those elected members of a government who haven't made the ministry. A parliamentary secretary is half-way to being a minister; like a role model student who got a gold star for exemplary work, instead of a prefect badge. They have an elevated status but they are not in the ministry.

The problem for an activist-by-nature backbencher is they are damned if they do or damned if they don't. If they try to shine they are in danger of outshining ministers; a contest they can't win. If they curl up and rely on the government's good name, they're expendable cannon fodder. Fattened up for the turkey shoot on election day.

The humble backbencher is expected to remain - a humble backbencher.

Apart from Speaker Elise Archer, the Hodgman government has six backbenchers in the House of Assembly and one in the Legislative Council. Guy Barnett and Adam Brooks have parliamentary secretary roles, which gives them a profile. Mr Barnett chaired the Triabunna woodchip inquiry, which gave him good media exposure until environmental philanthropist Graeme Wood blunted the attack with his evidence Adam Brooks is safe as a very popular Braddon MHA.

But the others should consider themselves at risk in the long term because they have no profile with the government. The government's media release website hardly mentions them.

Sarah Courtney in Bass is probably smart enough to make her own way, but in the North West Roger Jaensch and Joan Rylah, and Leonie Hiscutt in the upper house will have to forge their own identities.

They can't expect the government to repeat last year's extraordinary landslide. If they decide to break ranks and defy the government over an issue, it may refresh their appeal,but will poison their standing within the party in the long term.

Early in his career Peter Gutwein defied his party and crossed the floor over a social issue. It has taken more than a decade to heal the wounds, caused by that one defection. It has ruled him out in the medium term as a leadership contender, and possibly forever, given Will Hodgman's popularity.

Federally, parliamentary secretaries get a $48,782 retainer on top of base salary, but in Tasmania the parliamentary secretary gets nothing but more work to do. Parl-secs, as they're called, are baby ministers on trainer wheels - making ministers look like they're on top of their workload.

The aim is always for the common good and if it means the minister gets all the credit, well, that's the perk of being in cabinet.

Backbenchers could gain notoriety outside the tight sphere of politics, where a high profile wouldn't normally upset ministers. But, of course it will always upset jealous ministers if the boss starts raving about a particular backbencher.

Perhaps they could try another burp of fortifying nectar, and view cabinet quite rightly through the prism of friendly fire.

Otherwise, how humiliating it must be, to do all that work and meekly lose your seat on the tide of a uniform swing.