They were initially expected to support the Liberals, allowing Kerin to stay in office with a minority government.
However, in a surprise move, Peter Lewis, who had since been elected as an independent after being expelled from the Liberals in 2000, announced that he and his fellow crossbenchers would support the ALP and its leader Mike Rann to form minority government; in return, Lewis himself wanted to be made Speaker of the House of Assembly.
When Kerin learned this, he argued that the Liberals still had a mandate to govern since they had won a majority of the two-party vote.
On paper, Kerin was well within his rights to take this course of action; convention in the Westminster system gives the incumbent first minister the first opportunity to form a government when no party has a clear majority.
His approach to leadership and parliamentary tactics was more congenial than usual; this led to both praise from those who saw him as a 'nice guy' and criticism from those who believed his style was ineffective compared to the so-called "media savvy and aggressive" parliamentary tactics of the Rann Labor government.
Independent Geoff Brock won the seat in a very close contest, with his presence to later deny the Liberals government at the 2014 election.