Vic speaker should resign: experts

THE only way to overcome the stand-off in Victoria's parliament is for Speaker Ken Smith to quit, political experts say.

Premier Denis Napthine blamed a "childish stunt" by Labor for Mr Smith's decision to shut down parliament on Thursday, after Labor repeatedly tried to expose the Speaker's lack of support on the lower house floor.

But Labor says it will not back down in maintaining Mr Smith has lost support of most lower house members and should resign.

Mr Smith suspended parliament until November 26 in a day of drama which came after former Liberal turned independent MP Geoff Shaw, who holds the balance of power in the lower house, sided with Labor on Tuesday to stall government business and express no confidence in the Speaker.

Dr Napthine says he expects Labor will "do the right thing" and get on with the business of parliament once it resumes.

"What we had yesterday is a crude political stunt, a hijacking of democracy by political stunt," he told ABC radio on Friday.

When asked if he was prepared for the Speaker to suspend parliament again when it is due to sit next, Dr Napthine replied it is not his role to tell the Speaker how to act.

Opposition Leader Daniel Andrews accused Mr Smith of shutting down parliament to save his own skin.

"It's my hope that when we return to parliament on the 26th of November, the Speaker has considered his position. That is his position is untenable and he should go.

"We will stand our ground."

Former Victorian parliamentary Speaker Ken Coghill says it is hard to see Mr Smith's position will be any more tenable once parliament resumes.

"If the house resumes with things unchanged, then there's no reason to think the parliament will be workable, so sooner or later the Speaker either leaves of his own volition or is forced to leave," Mr Coghill told ABC Radio.

Monash University politics expert Dr Zareh Ghazarian says the events are a major headache for the government, which appears to have lost control of the parliament.

"It just seems they're unable to once and for all deal with essentially the thorn in their side and that is of course Mr Shaw," he said.

Dr Ghazarian says the best option is for the Speaker to quit.

"This is very useful tactics by Labor, aided by the Frankston MP, to really rattle the government, and it's working.

"If it comes to the ultimate point then he would probably have to resign to get around the political impasse."

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