Part of a slightly longer series, the precursors to SO 173 reflected the practices of the South Australian House of Assembly where messages from the Governor were delivered by a representative in person, announced by the Serjeant-at-Arms, collected from the bar by the Clerk and handed directly to the Speaker to be read to the Assembly (while members took off their hats!). A message reported by this method interrupted the business before the Assembly. Alternatively, a message from the Governor could be reported by a minister from his seat in the chamber, provided it did not interrupt a debate or a member speaking.
The underlying rationale is the provision of a communication channel between constituent parts of the parliament, from the governor to a house via its presiding officer, or between two of the arms of government, from the executive to the parliament via a minister.
When adapting colonial practices for its purposes, the Senate strengthened the separation between executive and parliament under the alternative method, by providing for a minister to present a message from the bar of the Senate, rather than from within the chamber. It also dispensed with the doffing of hats during the reporting of a message by the President.
It is apparent that the procedures set out in the standing orders were quickly streamlined. Messages were generally reported between items of business and did not, therefore, interrupt business in practice. While Edwards compiled no notes on these standing orders, Odgers’ antiquarian researches unearthed three occasions on which the Governor-General came in person to hand over messages assenting to laws, although the real purpose of his visits was to prorogue the Parliament. For the most part, however, messages were delivered through “the ordinary departmental delivery channels”. In 1917, the Leader of the Government in the Senate, Senator Pearce (Nat, WA), challenged President Givens for reporting a message (handed to him by the Clerk) from the Governor-General assenting to laws, on the ground that ministers usually reported such messages. Givens delivered a lengthy ruling on 15 February 1917 referring to the Governor-General’s adoption of a common sense system for messages to be forwarded directly to the Clerk, “I suppose to save time, and to get rid as far as possible of tedious formalities”. Givens did not see why ministers should interfere between a Clerk and his President and found the Governor-General’s system to be entirely in accordance with the standing orders, directing that it be adhered to in future unless otherwise ordered by the Senate. A message of this nature is a communication between components of the parliament, in any case, and it would be highly inappropriate for the executive to intervene as an intermediary.