Radio National Breakfast 'I was surplus to requirements': Dennis Richardson on resigning from antisemitism royal commission
Mar 11, 2026
Dennis Richardson, former ASIO director-general and senior public servant, explains why he resigned from an advisory role on a commission into antisemitism and social cohesion. He discusses unclear working arrangements, how his interim report was folded into the commission, trade-offs between a standalone review and a royal commission, and concerns about compensation and role clarity.
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Independent Review Lost When Folded Into Royal Commission
- Dennis Richardson resigned because his independent interim review was absorbed into the Royal Commission and constrained by new legal frameworks.
- He says the interim report that the Royal Commission will produce will be very different from the one he had been preparing before the commission was formed.
Resignation Framed As Role Mismatch
- Richardson says there wasn't enough discussion at the start about how his role would work, leading him to conclude he was surplus to requirements.
- He frames the mismatch as a practical organisational issue rather than a government intervention.
Confidence In Royal Commission Despite Resignation
- Richardson believes the Royal Commission will still produce a valuable, professionally done interim report under Virginia Bell.
- He highlights Bell's credentials and the commission's legal powers as compensating factors for the change in approach.