Michaelia Cash (WA, Liberal Party, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I seek leave to move a motion relating to the resignation of the Bondi royal commission special adviser, Dennis Richardson, as circulated.

Leave not granted.

Pursuant to contingent notice of motion standing in my name, I move:

That so much of the standing orders be suspended as would prevent me moving a motion to provide for the consideration of a matter, namely a motion giving precedence to a motion relating to the resignation of the Bondi royal commission's special adviser, Dennis Richardson.

Again, this is one of the most important matters to ever come before not just this chamber but also Australia. That is why the motion to suspend standing orders is so important. In December of last year, Australians were utterly horrified when news reports started coming through of a mass terrorist event at Bondi Beach. Fifteen innocent people were slaughtered. As a result of that, Australians demanded that this government establish a royal commission. They were dragged, kicking and screaming, to do just that, and they eventually did.

But one of the things that the Prime Minister said at the time was that Mr Dennis Richardson's review—the Richardson review—would be folded into the royal commission. Why? Because the Prime Minister himself told Australians that Mr Richardson, given who he is and what his qualifications are, was the person best qualified in our country to examine the intelligence and security surrounding the Bondi massacre. Then, this morning, Australians woke to the news that this person, the Prime Minister's hand-picked adviser, appointed by the Prime Minister because of his expertise in relation to, putting it in plain English, working out what the hell went wrong that ended up with 15 people being slaughtered at Bondi Beach, has actually quit the royal commission. Again, national security matters and the protection of Australians matters. That is why the coalition has taken this step this morning to put forward a motion to suspend what would otherwise be the normal business of the Senate to actually address this matter.

One of the issues the government now faces, though, is this: Mr Richardson did not leave quietly. He has left with words for those Australians who did not hear him this morning, and these words should stop not just Australians but also every single senator in this chamber cold. They should reflect very, very carefully on whether or not they support this suspension. This is what Mr Richardson told the Australian people this morning:

… I was surplus to requirements.

How in God's name is the man who formerly headed our intelligence services, who has one of the most impeccable resumes this country has ever seen when it comes to protecting Australia and Australians—he is the Prime Minister of Australia's hand picked adviser to the royal commission.

The Prime Minister himself, when he announced the folding of the Richardson inquiry into the royal commission, specifically said Mr Richardson is the best qualified person in the country to examine the intelligence and security failures surrounding the Bondi massacre, yet this morning Mr Richardson hasn't just handed in his resignation; he has gone public and said he is surplus to requirements. That is something that this Senate should be incredibly concerned about. They are words that should send not just a chill down the spine of every Australian but more so a chill down the spine of all Jewish Australians, because those on the opposite side of this chamber failed to protect you.

Fifteen innocent people were slaughtered on Bondi Beach. The government was dragged kicking and screaming to set up the royal commission. It eventually did that, and without even providing a first report the man who was chosen by the Prime Minister to look into the potential intelligence failings which resulted in 15 people being slaughtered in a mass terrorist attack last December has this morning said he is surplus to requirements. This is not a bureaucratic inconvenience. This is an absolute indictment on the Prime Minister, the Attorney-General and, quite frankly, the entire government. They need to stand before the Australian people today and address this: what did Mr Richardson mean when he said he was surplus to requirements, and why are you failing the Australian people when it comes to getting to the bottom of the Bondi massacre?

David Shoebridge (NSW, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise on behalf of my party to indicate we won't be supporting this political hatchet job the coalition is trying to make of a royal commission that's barely had the ink dry on the appointment.

If you want to read an extraordinary proposition from the coalition and show just how politicised they see Dennis Richardson, if you want to talk politics, putting Dennis Richardson in the heart of a royal commission into security agencies because he is, to quote this motion from the coalition, 'the one person capable of properly investigating intelligence failures'—you are kidding me! This bloke, Dennis Richardson, has so many conflicts of interest. He was the director-general of ASIO for the better part of a decade, he was the secretary of Defence and he's been the go-to person for the coalition and Labor since he's resigned to write reports that just whitewash any failures of the security agencies. He wrote a review into the National Intelligence Community in 2020, and the review reads like it's all fine, all terrific—all of his mates are doing a great job, there's nothing to see here, you don't need to change the law and don't need to review it. You want Richardson to write the report because you know he'll whitewash it just like he did in 2020.

Then, if you want to see the latest example of Richardson being the go-to to write a report to protect the substantial systemic failures of the coalition and Labor, have a look at his 2023 report into offshore detention. He goes and does a report into one of the most corrupt arrangements you could imagine: Home Affairs writing corrupt contract after corrupt contract, literally corrupting the Nauru government. We now know that they've been funding bikie gangs, funding illegal crime, engaging in drug dealing out of Nauru—and what did your mate Richardson say? Your mate Richardson said: 'Oh well—it's a tough environment. You have to work with organised crime. You have to corrupt people. Don't you worry about it. There's nothing to see here, no-one to hold to account.' That's why you want Richardson in this royal commission—you want the same whitewashing of the national security agencies and industries that he delivered in 2020 and 2023. We can see what you're doing here. And to call this guy 'the one person capable'—

James Paterson (Victoria, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Defence) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

That's what Albo said!

David Shoebridge (NSW, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

If you want to parrot the Prime Minister, go for your life! You can parrot the Prime Minister, but he's the one person grossly conflicted. He's the one person you can guarantee will write the report to whitewash and absolve your lot and their lot from any responsibility for systemic failures. That is why he finally said something that we can all agree on. Dennis Richardson, today, finally made a comment that the chamber could gather around and agree on: he's surplus to requirements.

Anthony Chisholm (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Assistant Minister for Regional Development) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

What has been shown this morning is that the opposition have learnt nothing from the last couple of months. We see the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate come in here with a political attack immediately. Having learnt nothing from the former opposition leader Sussan Ley, she goes on the attack without actually thinking through the consequences. The Australian people are sick of these things being politicised in this manner.

We've been notified that Mr Richardson has resigned as adviser to the Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion. The government thanks Mr Richardson for his efforts to date, and the government will continue to support the royal commission to deliver its important work, including the delivery of the interim report by 30 April.

The government established the Commonwealth Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion, led by former High Court justice the Hon. Virginia Bell. This will investigate and make recommendations regarding the circumstances leading up to and including the attack in Bondi, as well as the response of government and security agencies. The royal commission will also examine antisemitism in Australia and make recommendations towards combating hatred and strengthening social cohesion. But a royal commission is not the beginning or the end of what Australia must do to eradicate antisemitism and strengthen our social cohesion. This is an ongoing national effort for all of us.

The government has also been taking immediate and practical action to combat antisemitism. Our government will continue to support the work of our Special Envoy to Combat Antisemitism, Jillian Segal, and we will also drive the immediate change required in educational institutions, through the work that David Gonski is doing. We will continue to work with the states and territories to implement Australia's Counter-Terrorism and Violent Extremism Strategy, and we have passed legislation combatting hate and extremism and delivering tougher gun laws. Commissioner Bell has said she is confident that the interim report will be delivered in accord with the letters patent, which stipulates that the interim report must be delivered by 30 April, and the government will continue to support the royal commission to deliver its important work—including the delivery of the interim report, which is well advanced.

What we see from the opposition is that they are always quick on the political attack. That's something that this government rejects, and, to be honest, it's something that the Australian people reject. We've seen the result when the opposition goes on these political attacks, as the former opposition leader Sussan Ley did. It didn't work very well for her, and where is she now? I think all senators see the political attacks by the opposition for what they are. By coming in and doing a stunt like this, all they are doing is delaying the passage of important legislation that will help the royal commission do its work. By coming in and doing stunts, they're actually delaying the important business of the Senate—that is, passing legislation that will enable the royal commission to get on and do its work. On that note, I move:

That the question be now put.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The question is that the motion moved by Senator Chisholm be agreed to.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The question is that the motion moved by Senator Cash to suspend standing orders be agreed to.

Bridget McKenzie (Victoria, National Party, Shadow Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I seek leave to make a short statement of two minutes.

Leave granted.

I thank the Senate for granting leave. I wanted to make sure that I could contribute on the appalling situation that sees an esteemed public servant, Dennis Richardson, feel that he can no longer continue with integrity in investigating what occurred behind the curtain with the Bondi terrorist attacks. How is it that Islamists were able to be granted a firearm licence by the New South Wales Police Force? What did our intelligence agencies know, and when did they know it? And did they communicate that effectively to the jurisdictions and the agencies that could have prevented this atrocious attack on Jewish Australians in December last year?

Our Jewish community, who are feeling incredibly fragile in the wake of the attack at Bondi Beach during Hanukkah, will feel gutted and betrayed that the Prime Minister's own hand picked chair has resigned, a man that is esteemed on both sides of the chamber and that Australians broadly trust—Dennis Richardson. He has not just served governments; he has served our nation as head of some of our intelligence organisations and the men and women—we don't know their names—who put themselves in danger to protect our national interests here at home and in theatres around the world. We always supported Dennis Richardson's appointment. (Time expired)