You're right, WW. There is a perfectly acceptable government-in-waiting and the LG will be obliged to give it a chance. I don't know where people get the notion that the Queen's representative must always follow the advice of a first minister. Also, one could hardly say a speaker was partisan for casting a vote with the government side because that's what convention dictates they do. The Liberals blew their best chance to remain in power by allowing one of their own to become speaker.