January 17, 2026 • 11 mins
The victims of an unprovoked attack on an Auckland train line late last year are speaking out, describing injuries and a lingering fear of using public transport.
It’s yet another reminder of the safety concerns many New Zealanders have at the back of their minds the next time they step onto a bus or train.
Auckland Transport data shows hundreds of violent incidents across public transport services in the two years to November 2025 - and based on headlines, there’s little sign that trend is easing.
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Speaker 1 (00:05):
You're listening to the Weekend Collective podcast from News Talks,
i'd be look.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
The victims of what we're going to chat about is
the victims of an unp provoked attack on an Auckland
train line late last year speaking out describing the injuries
and the fear that they've got of using public transport.
There have been a few headlines around the public transport,
which is and it's yet another reminder of the safety
concerns New Zealanders have at the back of their minds
the next time they step onto a bus or train.
(00:32):
An Auckland Transport data shows hundreds of violent incidents across
public transport services in the two years to November twenty
twenty five, and based on the headlines, there's little sign
of that trend easing. One of the big issues. We're
gonna have a chat and the police. Minister Mark Mitchell
joins me.
Speaker 3 (00:46):
Now, Mark, good afternoon, Good afternoon, how are you mate?
Good to you.
Speaker 2 (00:50):
Did you have a did you have something of a
break you know?
Speaker 3 (00:54):
I did know I head of one for breaking it
up to Barley. My daughter and son in law and
my grand kids live up in Dubai, so we met
them halfway and we had ten days with them. It
was Christmas theme, so it was great. I hope you've
got a break too.
Speaker 2 (01:08):
Not yet, tomorrow, tomorrow.
Speaker 3 (01:12):
Those people that work through the Christmas in the year break,
thank you, Thank you very much, and I hope that
I hope that you guys do get a decent summer.
Speaker 2 (01:20):
Yeah, yeah, and I think it's crossed on that. Yeah,
thanks for that. Hey, look, before we get into policing
and crime, you know out your back on deck, your
Minister for Emergency Management with Northland having been hammered by
the rain again, is there anything that you can up
What should people know right now? What's the latest?
Speaker 3 (01:36):
Yes, I just think that everyone's sort of up the
north and spishially around that sort of foreign achy area
which has been hit pretty hard. Keep checking your local
civil defense website the council. I spoke with the Maya
several times. He's so. I spoke with my NIMA team
several times. I spoke with the Maya. I'm getting regular updates.
(01:56):
There's thirty or four people that remain at Prairie Bay
Camp round. They happy to stay here. The rest have
been evacuated. About one hundred and fifty campus from blam Bar.
I've been looked after at the Community Center one hundred
and sixty campus from FONONEKI been careful by the community
at the fire station. Community all follow a district council
in close contact with everyone. Everyone's mobilized fans doing an
(02:19):
outstanding job. But yes, they did get hard the order up.
There is about twenty different sort of blockages on five
roads that have been cleared at the moment. The last
of that should be completed by Wednesday. But just keep please,
just keep checking those websites, the radioill be giving updates
and just comply with any requests that come from our
(02:40):
tourst responders, our civil defense and council.
Speaker 2 (02:44):
Good stuff and thanks for that. Hey, look, you all
have heard my introduction and you might have seen the
headlines over the break and the late night train attack
which goes back a couple of months where those young
people resulted actually one of them was one of the
journalists here actually and left with some serious injuries. Well,
what's your reaction when you see that stuff, because that
looked horrendous with the group of thirty youths just home
(03:05):
and these.
Speaker 3 (03:05):
People, well, it's it is awful, you know, And without
a doubt. People should be able to access and use
public transport without fear of being assaulted or you know,
or abused. And we know that we've got there is
an issue there. Boundaries have changed and people think they
can behave in a certain way where they can't. And
we've been really clear as the incoming government that there's
(03:27):
going to be consequences of this sort of behavior. I've
asked police to work much more closely with the n
g TA and Akward Transport to make sure that we're
doing all that we can to ensure that our public
transport and our bus stations and train stations are safe.
There's a lot of good work going on there, you know,
and we you know, but like I keep saying, we've
got a long way to go, it's a lot of
(03:48):
we're to do. We're tracking in the right direction without
a doubt. In terms of our public transport in New Zealand.
In Auckland, there has been a big increase in people
accessing that which is probably going to increase you know,
those issues that you're talking about as well.
Speaker 2 (04:03):
Well, Yeah, I mean do we need it? Do we
need a dedicated sort of unit focusing specifically on public
transporters or you know, is that sort of overplaying it.
Speaker 3 (04:17):
No, I've got a very open mind in terms of
what we need to do to make sure that we're
ensure that our public transport is safe. Auckland Transport have
got a really good program. They've got safety officers in place.
Like I said to you, the police are working really
closely with them. N Etta, I am open to any
suggestions or any thoughts that are put forward. He continues
(04:37):
to protect and enhance the security for people accessing our
public transport.
Speaker 2 (04:42):
I was just thinking the reason I was focusing on
this in particular, I've seen a little bit more publicity
bubbling away around the opening of the city rail link,
and are you worried about you know, this is going
to be a badge of honor for Auckland once it
gets opened. Are you concerned about the crime aspect really
undermining what should be a huge, you know, plus for Auckland.
Speaker 3 (05:06):
I'm not concerned that. I'm vigilant and focused on making
sure that our city is one of the safest cities
in the world. We are tracking in the right direction.
Has been that is the hard work of a lot
of people, whether it be our business association heart of
the city, whether it be residents of the rate pars, associations,
social service providers, government agencies, police Housing New Zealand cpn
(05:31):
z our Mary Wardens. So that this is a combined
group effort in terms of making sure that we are
the safest city in the world. We've made some great
progress with all of those all of those groups coming
together and working together. We know again we've got We've
still got further to go, We've got more to do,
but we're definitely tracking in the right direction.
Speaker 2 (05:50):
Where does it heard You've mentioned actually a longer list
that I was going to read out to you about
where the accountability lies. You've got councils, the transport operators,
central government, the Police commissioner, you yourself as minister. Where
does the buck stop with this stuff?
Speaker 3 (06:03):
Ultimately, you know, I consider that the buck stops with me.
So I've taken the lead on this and that's why
I've called to either all of those groups that I
just sort of outlined, because although police just do an
outstanding job, they can't do it by themselves. They need
to have the support of all those groups. We need
to be wakened together identifying sometimes what are complex issues
(06:26):
and then starting to work our way through them. And
we've done that, we'll be very successful. And when I
say well, I mean all of those groups I've just
highlighted to you together we're much better at solving these
problems and just saying point of their fingers at the
police and saying, you guys, deal with it. You know,
they've got a lot on their play.
Speaker 1 (06:42):
Thanks.
Speaker 2 (06:42):
Of course, we've got to get perspective on this stuff.
But I have had conversations with friends who's, for instance,
a friend of mine's son won't use public transport when
he's in school uniform because of the danger of what
can go on there. What's your message to people who
are fearful of catching public transport? Is there some sort
of perspective we need to put this in.
Speaker 3 (07:00):
Well, which is atrocious for us in New Zealand that
is happening. Two things. Number one, please make sure that
you report it is important is that these things are reported.
And number two, certainly from me in this government, we've
got zero tolerance for this behavior and there's going to
be accountability, there's going to be consequences for it. The
(07:20):
expectation is that situations like that are followed up, followed
up on, and there is action taken.
Speaker 2 (07:26):
So what's twenty twenty six. Obviously we have the Prime
Minister's State of the Nation addressed tomorrow. Can we expect
them to say something about crime?
Speaker 3 (07:36):
I'm not sure I'll be at that.
Speaker 2 (07:39):
Sorry, I couldn't ever give a straight place. I'm like,
he's not going to say a.
Speaker 3 (07:42):
Word, a nice try, the nice try. Look. Look, if
I'm not up in Northland tomorrow, we've seeing how things
go with the response up there, then I'll be at
the State of the Nation tomorrow. And but you know,
it's his chance for the Prime Minister to kick off
the year and outline exactly what has has used as
(08:03):
visionism and what he wants to achieve.
Speaker 2 (08:05):
Okay, what about you, what do you want to see
as Minister of Police for twenty twenty six? What are
your top priorities.
Speaker 3 (08:13):
I'd like to get through the year without losing any
police officers. I think that they just have been doing
an outstanding job for us. You know that's a risky
job and and we're definitely tracking in the right direction.
We've got a very good commissioner in place with Richard Chambers,
who's doing outstanding work. I've been very clear that we
continue to push resources out into the front line, that
(08:36):
the police leadership is highly visible and engaged, that we
continue and the police overall continue to have high visibility
in the you know, in the community. I've had so
much positive feedback. I was literally just down at a
local mall earlier today and the security team we're telling
me just how good it's been to have that high
visibility police presence. Actually positive.
Speaker 2 (08:59):
Yeah, you might have heard my you probably won't have
heard my chat with Jamie Insaw actually from the New
Zealand here, and that was just looking forward towards Christopher
lux in the state of the nation. But his point,
and this is not trying to squeeze something out on
that issue, but he has view of what we're going
to see as is that national are going to basically
hold their line and and you know, wait for things
(09:21):
to start bearing more fruit. Is that sort of your
approach to what you see with police. Look, we've we've
we've got things in train, just it's going to start
working and we're going to we're going to hold the line.
Speaker 3 (09:34):
Well, I think we're starting to see good results coming through.
I think without a doubt. As an incoming government, we
had a very different approach to public safety and law
and order. We booked it coms first and we felt
very strongly there has to be consequences associated with the
with the you know, the offending that was happening, because
if you if you don't have that, then nothing's going
(09:55):
to change. The Prime Minister has been very clear with
his ministers. We've had a big program. We've all been
working very hard over the last two years, all of
us as a country, try and get us back on track.
We are starting to see some definitely the signs that
we are doing that. But no, we're certainly not sitting
back on our laurels. We'll be going as hard as
we can this year to keep making the changes that
(10:17):
we need to make.
Speaker 2 (10:18):
And are you anticipating any further changes do along the
lines of police having the tools and powers that they need.
Are there any further changes you're considering?
Speaker 3 (10:30):
Well, I'm always constantly asking the front line when I'm
getting around the country to please bring forward, you know,
any policy that they are, any legislative changes that we
could look at, you know, in terms of making their
more effective and making their job easier. So you know,
I'm completely open to that. We had a massive legislative
program over the last two years, I think one of
(10:53):
the biggest that we've seen for a long time in
that country. And we will continue to do whatever we
have to do to keep us tracking in the right
direction in terms of being the safest country in the world.
And you know, I'm lucky enough that I said on
the Police Council, which is the other which is all
the Australian States and the federal the Commonwealth ministers as well,
and you know, they've got some real struggles and real
(11:15):
challenges and real problems over the here. They're pretty consistent
with what we're facing. But we're doing we're doing pretty well.
We're actually everything for us is actually tracked in the
right direction. We just got to keep that momentum going,
keep supporting our police, keep working together, giving the right
people in the room making decisions. And you know, I'm
really optimistic and excited about this year.
Speaker 2 (11:38):
Excellent. Well, I do appreciate you joining us this affnon
Mark and we'll talk again.
Speaker 3 (11:43):
Yeah, thanks, Mane. That's my first chat for the year,
so yes, thanks very much.
Speaker 1 (11:53):
For more from the weekend Collective Listen Live to news talks.
It'd be weekends from three pm. Or follow the podcast
on iHeartRadio
You're listening to the Weekend Collective podcast from News Talks,
i'd be look.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
The victims of what we're going to chat about is
the victims of an unp provoked attack on an Auckland
train line late last year speaking out describing the injuries
and the fear that they've got of using public transport.
There have been a few headlines around the public transport,
which is and it's yet another reminder of the safety
concerns New Zealanders have at the back of their minds
the next time they step onto a bus or train.
(00:32):
An Auckland Transport data shows hundreds of violent incidents across
public transport services in the two years to November twenty
twenty five, and based on the headlines, there's little sign
of that trend easing. One of the big issues. We're
gonna have a chat and the police. Minister Mark Mitchell
joins me.
Speaker 3 (00:46):
Now, Mark, good afternoon, Good afternoon, how are you mate?
Good to you.
Speaker 2 (00:50):
Did you have a did you have something of a
break you know?
Speaker 3 (00:54):
I did know I head of one for breaking it
up to Barley. My daughter and son in law and
my grand kids live up in Dubai, so we met
them halfway and we had ten days with them. It
was Christmas theme, so it was great. I hope you've
got a break too.
Speaker 2 (01:08):
Not yet, tomorrow, tomorrow.
Speaker 3 (01:12):
Those people that work through the Christmas in the year break,
thank you, Thank you very much, and I hope that
I hope that you guys do get a decent summer.
Speaker 2 (01:20):
Yeah, yeah, and I think it's crossed on that. Yeah,
thanks for that. Hey, look, before we get into policing
and crime, you know out your back on deck, your
Minister for Emergency Management with Northland having been hammered by
the rain again, is there anything that you can up
What should people know right now? What's the latest?
Speaker 3 (01:36):
Yes, I just think that everyone's sort of up the
north and spishially around that sort of foreign achy area
which has been hit pretty hard. Keep checking your local
civil defense website the council. I spoke with the Maya
several times. He's so. I spoke with my NIMA team
several times. I spoke with the Maya. I'm getting regular updates.
(01:56):
There's thirty or four people that remain at Prairie Bay
Camp round. They happy to stay here. The rest have
been evacuated. About one hundred and fifty campus from blam Bar.
I've been looked after at the Community Center one hundred
and sixty campus from FONONEKI been careful by the community
at the fire station. Community all follow a district council
in close contact with everyone. Everyone's mobilized fans doing an
(02:19):
outstanding job. But yes, they did get hard the order up.
There is about twenty different sort of blockages on five
roads that have been cleared at the moment. The last
of that should be completed by Wednesday. But just keep please,
just keep checking those websites, the radioill be giving updates
and just comply with any requests that come from our
(02:40):
tourst responders, our civil defense and council.
Speaker 2 (02:44):
Good stuff and thanks for that. Hey, look, you all
have heard my introduction and you might have seen the
headlines over the break and the late night train attack
which goes back a couple of months where those young
people resulted actually one of them was one of the
journalists here actually and left with some serious injuries. Well,
what's your reaction when you see that stuff, because that
looked horrendous with the group of thirty youths just home
(03:05):
and these.
Speaker 3 (03:05):
People, well, it's it is awful, you know, And without
a doubt. People should be able to access and use
public transport without fear of being assaulted or you know,
or abused. And we know that we've got there is
an issue there. Boundaries have changed and people think they
can behave in a certain way where they can't. And
we've been really clear as the incoming government that there's
(03:27):
going to be consequences of this sort of behavior. I've
asked police to work much more closely with the n
g TA and Akward Transport to make sure that we're
doing all that we can to ensure that our public
transport and our bus stations and train stations are safe.
There's a lot of good work going on there, you know,
and we you know, but like I keep saying, we've
got a long way to go, it's a lot of
(03:48):
we're to do. We're tracking in the right direction without
a doubt. In terms of our public transport in New Zealand.
In Auckland, there has been a big increase in people
accessing that which is probably going to increase you know,
those issues that you're talking about as well.
Speaker 2 (04:03):
Well, Yeah, I mean do we need it? Do we
need a dedicated sort of unit focusing specifically on public
transporters or you know, is that sort of overplaying it.
Speaker 3 (04:17):
No, I've got a very open mind in terms of
what we need to do to make sure that we're
ensure that our public transport is safe. Auckland Transport have
got a really good program. They've got safety officers in place.
Like I said to you, the police are working really
closely with them. N Etta, I am open to any
suggestions or any thoughts that are put forward. He continues
(04:37):
to protect and enhance the security for people accessing our
public transport.
Speaker 2 (04:42):
I was just thinking the reason I was focusing on
this in particular, I've seen a little bit more publicity
bubbling away around the opening of the city rail link,
and are you worried about you know, this is going
to be a badge of honor for Auckland once it
gets opened. Are you concerned about the crime aspect really
undermining what should be a huge, you know, plus for Auckland.
Speaker 3 (05:06):
I'm not concerned that. I'm vigilant and focused on making
sure that our city is one of the safest cities
in the world. We are tracking in the right direction.
Has been that is the hard work of a lot
of people, whether it be our business association heart of
the city, whether it be residents of the rate pars, associations,
social service providers, government agencies, police Housing New Zealand cpn
(05:31):
z our Mary Wardens. So that this is a combined
group effort in terms of making sure that we are
the safest city in the world. We've made some great
progress with all of those all of those groups coming
together and working together. We know again we've got We've
still got further to go, We've got more to do,
but we're definitely tracking in the right direction.
Speaker 2 (05:50):
Where does it heard You've mentioned actually a longer list
that I was going to read out to you about
where the accountability lies. You've got councils, the transport operators,
central government, the Police commissioner, you yourself as minister. Where
does the buck stop with this stuff?
Speaker 3 (06:03):
Ultimately, you know, I consider that the buck stops with me.
So I've taken the lead on this and that's why
I've called to either all of those groups that I
just sort of outlined, because although police just do an
outstanding job, they can't do it by themselves. They need
to have the support of all those groups. We need
to be wakened together identifying sometimes what are complex issues
(06:26):
and then starting to work our way through them. And
we've done that, we'll be very successful. And when I
say well, I mean all of those groups I've just
highlighted to you together we're much better at solving these
problems and just saying point of their fingers at the
police and saying, you guys, deal with it. You know,
they've got a lot on their play.
Speaker 1 (06:42):
Thanks.
Speaker 2 (06:42):
Of course, we've got to get perspective on this stuff.
But I have had conversations with friends who's, for instance,
a friend of mine's son won't use public transport when
he's in school uniform because of the danger of what
can go on there. What's your message to people who
are fearful of catching public transport? Is there some sort
of perspective we need to put this in.
Speaker 3 (07:00):
Well, which is atrocious for us in New Zealand that
is happening. Two things. Number one, please make sure that
you report it is important is that these things are reported.
And number two, certainly from me in this government, we've
got zero tolerance for this behavior and there's going to
be accountability, there's going to be consequences for it. The
(07:20):
expectation is that situations like that are followed up, followed
up on, and there is action taken.
Speaker 2 (07:26):
So what's twenty twenty six. Obviously we have the Prime
Minister's State of the Nation addressed tomorrow. Can we expect
them to say something about crime?
Speaker 3 (07:36):
I'm not sure I'll be at that.
Speaker 2 (07:39):
Sorry, I couldn't ever give a straight place. I'm like,
he's not going to say a.
Speaker 3 (07:42):
Word, a nice try, the nice try. Look. Look, if
I'm not up in Northland tomorrow, we've seeing how things
go with the response up there, then I'll be at
the State of the Nation tomorrow. And but you know,
it's his chance for the Prime Minister to kick off
the year and outline exactly what has has used as
(08:03):
visionism and what he wants to achieve.
Speaker 2 (08:05):
Okay, what about you, what do you want to see
as Minister of Police for twenty twenty six? What are
your top priorities.
Speaker 3 (08:13):
I'd like to get through the year without losing any
police officers. I think that they just have been doing
an outstanding job for us. You know that's a risky
job and and we're definitely tracking in the right direction.
We've got a very good commissioner in place with Richard Chambers,
who's doing outstanding work. I've been very clear that we
continue to push resources out into the front line, that
(08:36):
the police leadership is highly visible and engaged, that we
continue and the police overall continue to have high visibility
in the you know, in the community. I've had so
much positive feedback. I was literally just down at a
local mall earlier today and the security team we're telling
me just how good it's been to have that high
visibility police presence. Actually positive.
Speaker 2 (08:59):
Yeah, you might have heard my you probably won't have
heard my chat with Jamie Insaw actually from the New
Zealand here, and that was just looking forward towards Christopher
lux in the state of the nation. But his point,
and this is not trying to squeeze something out on
that issue, but he has view of what we're going
to see as is that national are going to basically
hold their line and and you know, wait for things
(09:21):
to start bearing more fruit. Is that sort of your
approach to what you see with police. Look, we've we've
we've got things in train, just it's going to start
working and we're going to we're going to hold the line.
Speaker 3 (09:34):
Well, I think we're starting to see good results coming through.
I think without a doubt. As an incoming government, we
had a very different approach to public safety and law
and order. We booked it coms first and we felt
very strongly there has to be consequences associated with the
with the you know, the offending that was happening, because
if you if you don't have that, then nothing's going
(09:55):
to change. The Prime Minister has been very clear with
his ministers. We've had a big program. We've all been
working very hard over the last two years, all of
us as a country, try and get us back on track.
We are starting to see some definitely the signs that
we are doing that. But no, we're certainly not sitting
back on our laurels. We'll be going as hard as
we can this year to keep making the changes that
(10:17):
we need to make.
Speaker 2 (10:18):
And are you anticipating any further changes do along the
lines of police having the tools and powers that they need.
Are there any further changes you're considering?
Speaker 3 (10:30):
Well, I'm always constantly asking the front line when I'm
getting around the country to please bring forward, you know,
any policy that they are, any legislative changes that we
could look at, you know, in terms of making their
more effective and making their job easier. So you know,
I'm completely open to that. We had a massive legislative
program over the last two years, I think one of
(10:53):
the biggest that we've seen for a long time in
that country. And we will continue to do whatever we
have to do to keep us tracking in the right
direction in terms of being the safest country in the world.
And you know, I'm lucky enough that I said on
the Police Council, which is the other which is all
the Australian States and the federal the Commonwealth ministers as well,
and you know, they've got some real struggles and real
(11:15):
challenges and real problems over the here. They're pretty consistent
with what we're facing. But we're doing we're doing pretty well.
We're actually everything for us is actually tracked in the
right direction. We just got to keep that momentum going,
keep supporting our police, keep working together, giving the right
people in the room making decisions. And you know, I'm
really optimistic and excited about this year.
Speaker 2 (11:38):
Excellent. Well, I do appreciate you joining us this affnon
Mark and we'll talk again.
Speaker 3 (11:43):
Yeah, thanks, Mane. That's my first chat for the year,
so yes, thanks very much.
Speaker 1 (11:53):
For more from the weekend Collective Listen Live to news talks.
It'd be weekends from three pm. Or follow the podcast
on iHeartRadio
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