Colleen Harkin on The Rita Panahi Show Sky News Australia – 3 July 2025

In this interview, Colleen Harkin appeared on The Rita Panahi Show – Sky News Australia to discuss the IPA’s research on the Voice to Parliament Referendum.

All media appearances posted onto the IPA website are directly related to the promotion and dissemination of IPA research.

Below is a transcript of the interview.

Rita Panahi:

Let’s bring in Institute of Public Affairs Research Fellow and the director of the IPA’s School programme, Colleen Harkin.

Colleen, what do you think? Do you agree with the Premier there that this report lays the foundation for a better Victoria for all?

Colleen Harkin:

No, Rita, this is Jacinta Allan conceitedly ignoring democracy. Australians already voted in the Voice referendum a couple of years ago with a, give or take, 60/40 no response. And even in Victoria it was a 54% no to racial division. We’re very clear on the fact that we don’t want our country divided by race, that we are one people and we want to celebrate as one people. Indigenous Aboriginals, Indigenous population equal the same as me; we’re entitled to the same rights, the same privileges, same opportunities. And so the importance of not making a two-tiered society couldn’t be more important than it ever has been before. These, what are they, requests will take us back a hundred years to prior to 1967.

Rita Panahi:

Of the recommendations, some of them are astonishing, and the fact that the Premier has received them so positively and is not ruling anything out, surely she’s aware of some of the more outlandish recommendations, but at this stage, we’re not ruling anything out. You’re right, we did have a vote. The majority of Victorians said we don’t want the Indigenous Voice to Parliament. If you don’t want the Indigenous Voice, then I cannot say… If 54% voted no to that, I’m sure 70, 80% would have voted no to a treaty, like we’re going to get here in Victoria. How are they disregarding the will of the people without any fear that this is going to hurt them at a state election?

Colleen Harkin:

Well, all power to the opposition. I believe they’ve come out and rejected it, and I hope they go hard at this because it is very significant. It will change the future of the nation if this was to pursue. It is the elites and the bureaucracy telling us what we need. They are completely ignoring what the populace has already said. And the idea that we can’t have equal opportunity unless we have, for example, different tax regimes depending on your ethnicity is absurd.

Rita Panahi:

Well, the whole thing is absurd. To me, having a separate enshrined type of voice is absurd, especially when the participation rate has been so low. We’ve had people elected to this body with as few as 40 votes. And the cost of it is another consideration. There’s been some commentary today that it could bankrupt the state, a state that’s already the most in debt of any state in this country.

Colleen Harkin:

Yeah. I mean, that’s the economics of it. I mean, it could bankrupt the state in terms of what they’re asking for, but it goes to the core principle of are we equal under law? Are we one people or are we not? And the idea that we want to set up a small nations within our state and that we lose sovereignty is very dangerous conversation.

Rita Panahi:

Absolutely. And you gave credit to the Victorian Opposition for saying they would reverse this if they were to be elected. But let’s not forget, at the last state election, they were on board with this madness.

Colleen Harkin:

They were.

Rita Panahi:

The Victorian people had no choice here. Can you see this becoming an election issue? Obviously cost of living is top of mind, but I can see this being a top-tier election issue. This is something people feel very strongly about, and I think in this state, we really haven’t had anybody speaking out against it from either major party so far. I know Brad Battin has made a few comments, but we have become accustomed to the Liberals backing Labor in its culture wars.

Colleen Harkin:

Yeah. You’re right, the Liberals actually supported the establishment of the authority. And being able to provide a strong opposition is really important, obviously, going into the next election. I think you’re right. I think this will become a huge election issue. Australia is a very fair-minded people; the pub test type thing. We don’t want a scenario where the bloke next door is treated differently for any reason. It doesn’t matter who they are or where we’ve come from, we like the idea and we value the idea that we are equal people. So I think this will become a really large issue if the Liberal Party actually stands up or the Coalition actually stands up for what is the right thing to do.

Rita Panahi:

Colleen Harkin, thanks for your time tonight.

This transcript featuring Colleen Harkin on The Rita Panahi Show – Sky News Australia from 3 July 2025 has been edited for clarity.