The Leighton Smith Podcast

JR Bruning analyses her article, “An Election Agreement that has locked in a Road User Charging Revolution” and asks why this was necessary in the first place. Crucially, how it will affect every one of us? Investigative writer JR Bruning (aka Jodie Bruning) covers a range of topics; sociological studies of ignorance, "non-knowledge” and the production of science and technology. Her primary resear...

The New Zealand Centre for Political Research (NZCPR) was established twenty one years ago. Founded by Muriel Newman, the NZCPR is more important now than ever as an independent public policy think tank. In this election year, New Zealand is arguably facing its biggest challenge to date. Certainly the biggest for a long time. Nine years as a politician (and a former Chamber of Commerce President)...

Proven favourite Nick Cater turns up for the first time this year. Unsurprisingly, the Australian economy leads the discussion. We focus on the trio of hopeless politicians at the absolute peak of state power. Nick shares his reaction to Pauline Hanson, and Angus Taylor, the new leader of the Liberal Party. We touch on housing, jobs, tax, cost of living and mass immigration. We discuss AI and the...

Depending on perspective, it’s not difficult to agree with George Friedman’s interpretations of “how the world turns”. I first met George in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania in 1983 where he was a Professor at the United States War College. It was instantly obvious that the professors knowledge in his field was second to none. George’s most recent book “The Storm Before the Calm” (2020) set the stage for...

Dr Ramesh Thakur is well known on the Leighton Smith Podcast. He is an Emeritus Professor of Public Policy at the Australian National University. He is also a former United Nations Assistant Secretary General, and a Senior Scholar at the Brownstone Institute. Since the birth of Covid-19 he has been tenacious in investigating the truth… and, in our opinion, very successfully. As a contributor to “C...

“Based in the Parliamentary Press Gallery since 1980, Barry Soper has covered every New Zealand Prime Minister since, earning a reputation for his sharp questioning, wit, and deep institutional knowledge of Wellington politics.”  Barry’s contribution to New Zealand journalism saw him recognised in this year’s King’s Birthday Honours, where he was named an Officer of the New Zealand Order of M...

"Socialism is based on bureaucratic planning. This means a restriction of personal freedom. The dream of equality, a goal even of democratically dressed up socialism, can only be achieved by coercion."  Thorsten Polleit shows ways in which democratic socialism moves toward a globally planned state.   His book ‘The Global Currency Plot’ looks at the way money is used as a political tool,...

Leonard S. Hong arrived in New Zealand at the age of three.  His story is one of choosing the right parents, hard work, and applied effort to succeed.  At age 29 he has a Master of Science and has completed a Prime Ministerial Scholarship to Asia. He’s worked in Perth and Singapore, and speaks both English and Korean fluently.  He is a valuable citizen.  But why are he and so m...

An inventive way to encourage the understanding of the stupidity in New Zealand's governance...  Oliver Hartwich, Executive Director of the New Zealand Initiative, has authored a novella, ‘The Martian Audit: Or, How New Zealand Repelled an Invasion Through Procedural Complexity’.   It’s a satirical work in which Martian invaders are held off and eventually sent packing by the country’s p...

The International Health Reform Project (IHRP) is aiming to restore a rational framework to the polarised debate surrounding the World Health Organisation (WHO).  Their intent is to rebuild international health governance on a basis of ethics, evidence, and sovereign responsibility – publishing a report on the subject called ‘The Right to Health Sovereignty'. David Bell, a member of IHRP, dis...

I’ve known Rodney Hide for a long time; through his career in politics and beyond. I’ve seen changes in his life, both personal and professional. He is still making adjustments, because he’s a man who pursues philosophy and knowledge, and isn’t afraid of making corrections. It’s been over a year since we did a podcast. Our pre interview chat led to a story that then opened a wide ranging discussio...

"The science behind the risk of myocarditis following mRNA vaccination’, "A wake up call - The adverse health effects of forever genetic compounds” and "Biotech cannot be allowed a right to secrecy”. These are all commentaries by Guy Hatchard PhD, published in the month of April.  And after the failure of the Royal Commission on Covid-19, where to from here? As he observes; “You can’t help bu...

It is no exaggeration to say that New Zealand has a major energy crisis.  Energy policy is at the base of everything. Energy is only about 6% to 8% of GDP but without energy, there is no GDP.  Energy is the economy and "if you don’t have everything right we are running into big trouble in every single area.”  If you think coal is bad and the Greens should be running the country, you...

George Friedman, from Geopolitical Futures guested on Podcast 318, five weeks ago. As the Iran war has developed into a longer and much more serious event, it was appropriate to muster his knowledge and expertise for an update. Knowing that there were threats for ever greater expansion of the conflict, we endeavoured to cover different results for each possibility. We take a look at energy shortag...

“The phrase ‘unintended consequences’ rarely passes the lips of our most senior lawyers, judges, or academics. Like many in the professional classes, lawyers have become cheerleaders for most fashionable progressive causes, abandoning the caution and prudence that once defined the discipline. Worse, they have become enforcers - shutting down dissenting voices inside and outside the profession”. Da...

"The Right to Health Sovereignty concludes that the restoration of trust in international health governance depends on rediscovering the moral foundations of medicine and public health, and the sovereign responsibility of the nation state. An International Health Organisation built on sovereignty and ethics would preserve the benefits of cooperation while upholding the freedoms of individuals and...

In the 13 years since I first interviewed Patrick Basham, Director of the Democracy Institute in Washington DC, he has shown himself to be an outstanding analyst and commentator. He is erudite on many fronts. His opinions on the war with Iran may not please you. But whether you’re a Trump supporter or a critic, his rationale is provocative. Don’t miss it. And we finish up in The Mailroom with your...

The recent announcement by the Reserve Bank focused on the availability of cash and ATM’s, and commercial bank branches. The Reserve Bank is currently seeking feedback on these possible changes from the public. Professor Robert MacCulloch, (who once worked at the Reserve Bank), is forthright in his commentary. His thoughts on cash, CBDC’s, and privacy versus government control are invaluable. As a...

Media around the world has been engrossed with reporting, speculating, and arguing the case over the war with Iran.   While it may have been ‘out of the blue’ for many, the conflict came as no surprise to those following the developments in the Middle East.  George Friedman, Chairman and Founder of Geopolitical Futures, exploits knowledge he’s accumulated over decades, providing his opin...

For some considerable time, in countries with judicial systems like New Zealand, Australia, Canada and the U.S., the senior courts have been expanding their power. Professor Jim Allan was commissioned to write an appraisal of a new 600+ page book for a U.S. law journal. In summary, he concluded what one Supreme Court has been doing is “bonkers; flat out judicial supremacy”. This is a book for anyo...

There are numerous approaches to management: Legacy, Ideological, Corporate, and Political Management. These combine to produce a system that cannot sustain long-term strategies. “Cultivation Management is the alternative.” According to Dr Mike Schmidt, it is also the approach that Christopher Luxon needs to adopt to retain his Prime Ministership. And then there’s the question; can Mr Luxon afford...

Having spent two weeks in Australia, post New Year, Leighton & Carolyn are pleased to be home. Sydney was sweltering as is the political scenery. Nevertheless a good time was had. Now it’s back to business for 2026, the eighth year of the podcast. Interestingly there was much inquiry about two politicians by our Australian media friends; Shane Jones & Erica Stanford. So we begin the year,...

Leighton is on summer break, so we are highlighting some of his favourite guests from 2025. James Bovard is a Libertarian Journalist and Author. Thirteen books published. In his first ’The Farm Fiasco’ (1989) he referenced NZ as a world leader in farming. In 1994 came ‘Lost Rights; The Destruction of American Liberty’ We interviewed in April 2021 re Covid. Now thirty years after Lost Rights, comes...

Leighton is on summer break, so we are highlighting some of his favourite guests from 2025. Emeritus Professor Robert Clancy is a leading Australian immunologist and pioneer in the field of mucosal immunology. He is known for his research and development of therapies for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, commonly known as emphysema. “Covid through our eyes”, edited by Robert Clancy, explains...

Leighton is on summer break, so we are highlighting some of his favourite guests from 2025. John Alcock updates us on Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDC’s) after the groundwork he laid down eighteen months ago on this podcast. Within the last couple of weeks, two of the biggest NZ Banks have implemented mandatory behavioural and device-level surveillance as a condition of online and mobile bank...