Former ASIO chief quits anti-Semitism royal commission

Former ASIO chief Dennis Richardson has resigned from his role as special adviser to the anti-Semitic royal commission.

Commissioner Virginia Bell announced Mr. Richardson’s sudden departure on Wednesday night as her inquiry prepared its first report in late April.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced the royal commission following the terror attack at Bondi Beach on December 14, when a father and his son opened fire on Hanukkah celebrations, killing 15 people.

“As I noted at the Commission’s first hearing, Mr. Richardson was in a unique position to advise on materials to be requested from our intelligence and security agencies to assess the effectiveness of our intelligence and security agencies’ preparedness for and response to a terrorist attack,” Ms. Bell said in a statement. “Work on the interim report is well advanced at the Ministry of Defense and AusAID’s director general.”

Ms Bell thanked Mr Richardson “for his valuable contribution to the commission”.

His statement did not provide reasons for Mr. Richardson’s resignation.

Mr Albanese’s government initially refused to call a royal commission into the Bondi massacre, instead appointing Mr Richardson to chair a review of intelligence and law enforcement adequacy before the attack.

After weeks of political pressure, Mr Albanese relented and announced the inquiry would be led by former Supreme Court judge Ms Bell into a wider inquiry into antisemitism and failings in the country’s intelligence services.

Mr Richardson’s review has been included in the new royal commission.

The investigation is expected to submit its interim report to the government by April 30.