The Leighton Smith Podcast

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 need to be dispelled of that thoug...

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 shortage and policy f...

“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”.

Damning words from retired barrister ...

"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 nations.”

So says Ramesh Thakur ...

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 correspondence and Mrs Producer.

F...

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 are your thoughts in The Mailroom wi...

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 opinion on why US President Donald Trum...

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 anyone interested in the law and politi...

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 to bypass the advice Schmidt has t...

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, as we did in ’25 with Shane Jones, ...

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 ‘Last Rights; The Death of America...

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 how Australian governments and heal...

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 banking.

The customer cannot opt out.

T...

Leighton is on summer break, so we are highlighting some of his favourite guests from 2025.

Ramesh Thakur has a world of history, literally, in international affairs.

He has taught at a number of Universities including Otago and the ANU, Canberra.

But his time spent at the United Nations, culminating as an Assistant Secretary General, provides a wealth of knowledge.

That makes his comments on Iran, Israel, and Donald Trump a must l...

Leighton is on summer break, so we are highlighting some of his favourite guests from 2025.

Prior to Covid-19, Dr Pierre Kory was an internationally renowned pioneer in the field of critical care ultra-sonography; equally so in other areas of medicine.

In 2023 he published “The War on Ivermectin: The medicine that saved millions and could have ended the pandemic." 

The challenges that were to confront him over the next few yea...

Leighton is on summer break, so we are highlighting some of his favourite guests from 2025.

In 2007, Documentary maker Martin Durkin produced “The Great Global Warming Swindle”.

With 17 more years of predictions, Durkin has released “Climate: The Movie, The Cold Truth”.

By utilising facts, statistics and some of the world’s leading scientists, Durkin shows why the science is still not settled. (Judge for yourself by searching ...

Leighton is on summer break, so we are highlighting some of his favourite guests from 2025.

Romanians are still navigating the difficult path of building democratic institutions and a culture of transparency.

At the same time, widespread perceptions of corruption and cronyism have caused many Romanians to see little change from communist leadership.

Antonia Colibasanu, a lecturer on International Relations at the Romanian National ...

Leighton is on summer break, so we are highlighting some of his favourite guests from 2025.

The term “lawfare” is getting plenty of attention; basically it represents the corruption that’s becoming more widespread in the courtrooms of the Western world.

Judicial activism and the politicisation of the law and legal system makes for a duo of issues that need addressing by the legislatures of countries which are the targets of the mis...

Mike Sabin has been a very busy man. He joined the NZ Police in 1996 and was stationed in Auckland and up north.

He specialised in drug enforcement, especially methamphetamine, (otherwise known as P).

He was one of the first specialised Clandestine Drug Laboratory task force members responsible for investigating and dismantling illicit P labs.

In 2006 he established MethCon Group, concentrating on meth education and policy.

In 2011...