 Head then asked Macdonald to form a government.The law allowed anyone who had held a ministerial position within the last thirty days to accept a new position without needing to face a by-election; Macdonald and his ministers accepted new positions, then completed what was dubbed the "Double Shuffle" by returning to their old posts.In an effort to give the appearance of fairness, Head insisted that Cartier be titular premier, with Macdonald as his deputy.