The resignation in Australia of Dennis Richardson from the Bondi Beach Royal Commission should ring alarm bells across the country. When the most experienced national security figure in the room decides his presence adds little value, Australians are entitled to ask a simple question: are the wheels already coming off this Royal Commission?

Richardson is not just another bureaucrat quietly stepping aside. He is a former head of ASIO, a former secretary of the Departments of Defence and Foreign Affairs, Australia’s ambassador to the United States, and widely regarded as one of the country’s most experienced national security figures. If anyone understands intelligence failures and counter-terrorism systems, it is him.

His departure was not wrapped in diplomatic ambiguity. Richardson stated plainly that he felt like the “fifth wheel”, that he was not adding much value, and that his contribution had become increasingly limited over time.

That in itself should raise eyebrows. Richardson should never have been the fifth wheel. With his decades of experience, he should have been the front wheel helping steer the direction of the inquiry.

Royal Commissions are supposed to represent the gold standard of independent investigation in Australia. They exist to uncover uncomfortable truths, cut through political noise and restore public confidence when institutions fail.

Richardson’s resignation risks doing the opposite.

As Liberal Senator James Paterson bluntly put it, the development casts “a massive shadow” over the credibility of the Royal Commission and ultimately its findings and recommendations. That concern is not simply partisan politics. It reflects a broader fear that the inquiry may not be functioning as robustly or independently as Australians were promised.

Richardson has also made clear that he believes delaying findings about any intelligence failures connected to the Bondi terrorist attack until the end of the year is unacceptable given the current security environment.

At a time when national security agencies warn of heightened threats and communities remain on edge, Australians........

© The Times of Israel (Blogs)