[6] At the 2002 election, Lewis contested his seat under the banner of the Community Leadership Independence Coalition (CLIC) and was re-elected.
Eventually, Lewis agreed to support a Labor minority government on confidence and supply motions while retaining the right to vote on conscience.
In return, Lewis became Speaker of the South Australian House of Assembly, Labor agreed to hold a Constitutional Convention, and Lewis gained concessions for his electorate including the phasing out of commercial fishing in the River Murray, prioritising the eradication of the branched broomrape weed, changing water rates for irrigation, fast-tracking a feasibility study for a weir and lock at Wellington, and improving rural roads.
However, Kerin stated that since the Liberals had won the two-party vote on 50.9 percent, he would stay in office until Labor demonstrated it had support on the floor of the legislature.
[10] However, the other two independents, Rory McEwen and Bob Such, and the SA Nationals member, Karlene Maywald, later also agreed to support the Rann government in return for cabinet or speaker positions.
The Rann government held a Constitutional Convention as promised in 2003, and as an outcome organised what ended up as failed attempts at bills for optional preferential voting, citizen initiated referendums and four-year Upper House terms.
Ratcliff later recanted his claims, saying he realised the politician was not the man known as "Terry" who frequented gay beats in the late 1980s and early 1990s.
[23] On 1 April 2005 Standfield and Utting faxed a press release, giving names of the alleged sitting MP and 2 policemen.
[30][31][32] On 4 April 2005 Lewis faced a potential motion of no confidence, but before a vote could be taken he gave a speech in parliament then resigned as speaker.
It was reported that Lewis had sold his iron ore project at Razorback Ridge, 80 km east of Yunta, to Western Australia's Royal Resources for $30 million.