Difference between revisions of "Dennis Richardson"

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Between 1969 and 1986 Richardson had various positions in the Department of Foreign Affairs, including postings to Kenya, Papua New Guinea and Indonesia. In 1986 he was appointed Head of the Refugee and Humanitarian Branch in the Department of Immigration and Ethnic Affairs.  
 
Between 1969 and 1986 Richardson had various positions in the Department of Foreign Affairs, including postings to Kenya, Papua New Guinea and Indonesia. In 1986 he was appointed Head of the Refugee and Humanitarian Branch in the Department of Immigration and Ethnic Affairs.  
  
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In 1987, Richardson moved to the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet, being appointed Head of the International Division in 1988. In 1990-91, Richardson was seconded to Prime Minister [[Bob Hawke]]'s office where he served as [[Chief of Staff to the Prime Minister (Australia)|Chief of Staff]].  
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In 1987, Richardson moved to the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet, being appointed Head of the International Division in 1988. In 1990-91, Richardson was seconded to Prime Minister [[Bob Hawke]]'s office where he was [[Chief of Staff to the Prime Minister (Australia)|Chief of Staff]].  
  
 
In 1992, Richardson conducted a review of the Australian Intelligence Community Post Cold War. In 1993, Richardson was appointed Deputy Secretary of the Department of Immigration and Multicultural Affairs. He was Director-General of the Australian Security Intelligence Organization from October 1996 to May 2005.  
 
In 1992, Richardson conducted a review of the Australian Intelligence Community Post Cold War. In 1993, Richardson was appointed Deputy Secretary of the Department of Immigration and Multicultural Affairs. He was Director-General of the Australian Security Intelligence Organization from October 1996 to May 2005.  

Latest revision as of 15:01, 1 July 2023

Person.png Dennis Richardson  Rdf-entity.pngRdf-icon.png
(spook, diplomat)
Dennis J Richardson (2).jpg
Born14 May 1947
NationalityAustralian
Alma materUniversity of Sydney
Member ofAustralian Institute of International Affairs
Interests • Children overboard
• Siev X
• Siev-10
Australian intelligence boss and Ambassador to the United States.

Employment.png Secretary of the Department of Defence

In office
18 October 2012 - 12 May 2017

Employment.png Australia/Director-General of Security

In office
11 October 1996 - 27 May 2005

Dennis James Richardson [1] is a retired Australian intelligence official and diplomat. His time as Director-General of Security places him in the middle of the Children Overboard, SIEV-4 incident and the SIEV X mass death.

Background and career

Richardson was keenly interested in current affairs as a boy.[2] He attended the University of Sydney where he received a Bachelor of Arts with Honours (1965–68).[3] He started his Australian Public Service career in the Department of External Affairs in 1969.[4] His history supervisor had suggested he apply to the Department rather than continuing with plans to become a teacher.[2]

Between 1969 and 1986 Richardson had various positions in the Department of Foreign Affairs, including postings to Kenya, Papua New Guinea and Indonesia. In 1986 he was appointed Head of the Refugee and Humanitarian Branch in the Department of Immigration and Ethnic Affairs.

In 1987, Richardson moved to the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet, being appointed Head of the International Division in 1988. In 1990-91, Richardson was seconded to Prime Minister Bob Hawke's office where he was Chief of Staff.

In 1992, Richardson conducted a review of the Australian Intelligence Community Post Cold War. In 1993, Richardson was appointed Deputy Secretary of the Department of Immigration and Multicultural Affairs. He was Director-General of the Australian Security Intelligence Organization from October 1996 to May 2005.

Richardson was Australian Ambassador to the United States of America (2005–2010) and Secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (2010–2012).[5] While Australian Ambassador to the US he visited all 50 states, driving with his wife to all but Hawaii.[6]

In October 2012, Richardson was appointed Secretary of the Department of Defence. Richardson announced on 19 April 2017 that he would retire on 12 May 2017. Associate Secretary Brendan Sargeant was acting Secretary until the appointment of Greg Moriarty on 4 September 2017.[7][8]

Richardson was on the board of the US Studies Centre at Sydney University from 2010-2017. Following his retirement from the Public Service, he was appointed to the Board of freight company Linfox Australia.

In mid 2018, Richardson was appointed by the Australian Government to conduct a Comprehensive Review of Australian Intelligence Legislation. A classified report was given to the government in December 2019, with an unclassified report published in December 2020.[9]


 

Related Quotations

PageQuoteAuthorDate
Kevin Rudd“Rudd attended a dinner on the 3rd of June with Jewish community leaders to repair the strained relationship. According to Rudd, Mark Leibler, leader of AIJAC berated him for committing the "hostile act" of expelling the Israeli diplomat. Rudd told Leibler that it was the second time Israel had used false passports, wherupon Leibler responded "I don't believe you". When Rudd offered a meeting with ASIO chief Richardson, "Leibler still stared at me in disbelief. And then disbelief turned to anger. Apropos of nothing, he said, 'Julia is looking very good in the public eye these days, Prime Minister. She's performing very strongly. She's a great friend of Israel. But you shouldn't be anxious about her, should you, Prime Minister?' It was Leibler at his menacing worst."”Kevin Rudd2018
Kevin Rudd“In his memoirs, Prime Minster Rudd told how in the National Security Committee of the Cabinet after the second Israeli passport incident, Dennis Richardson, chief of ASIO, stated that "unless Australia wished to be seen as a 'soft touch' by the Israelis, we had to act firmly and decisively. Everyone nodded in agreement except Julia Gillard. "I asked her explicitly whether she supported the recommendations. She grunted her assent. I knew for a fact that Julia had been cultivated by the Israeli Lobby in Australia".”Kevin Rudd2018
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References

  1. ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20141220070801/http://www.dfat.gov.au/homs/us.html
  2. ↑ a b https://iview.abc.net.au/show/barrie-cassidy-s-one-plus-one/series/2020/video/NC2029H005S00
  3. ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20140205125616/http://virginiahaussegger.com.au/files/1311888332.pdf
  4. ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20150131002351/http://newsstore.fairfax.com.au/apps/viewDocument.ac%3Bjsessionid%3DED71E2AC6C0C025604D994D517862650?sy=afr&pb=all_ffx&dt=selectRange&dr=1month&so=relevance&sf=text&sf=headline&rc=10&rm=200&sp=brs&cls=1032&clsPage=1&docID=AGE100116M06K230KT4O
  5. ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20090814192404/http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,25924040-5013871,00.html%7C
  6. ↑ http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/jul/01/you-might-think-a-top-washington-diplomat-only-pic/
  7. ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20170503072203/http://www.defence.gov.au/Secretary/
  8. ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20170420003401/http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-04-19/defence-department-secretary-dennis-richardson-resigns/8453452
  9. ↑ https://www.ag.gov.au/NationalSecurity/Pages/Comprehensive-review-of-the-legal-framework-governing-the-national-intelligence-community.aspx
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