The winners in the most painful election in recent memory will be sworn in at the House of Assembly this morning.

Thirty men and nine women will take their oaths as members of the 50th General Assembly of the legislature.

One seat remains vacant pending the outcome of the recount in St. John’s East-Quidi Vidi, but the real drama kicks in this afternoon with the election of the House Speaker which is done by secret ballot.

An unprecedented five people are in the running, including current Speaker Scott Reid, two axed cabinet ministers, and an Opposition Tory—Paul Dinn—considered the odds-on-favourite.

Sherry Gambin-Walsh—ousted from cabinet this time last year for breaking cabinet confidentiality—also wants the job.

New members will spend the next two days in bureaucratic boot camp before their first formal sitting for the Throne Speech on Thursday. That should provide a concise glimpse of the course Premier Andrew Furey has plotted toward fiscal redemption.

There is still no date set for the budget, with the Premier’s Office only saying it will be in the coming months.