The Leighton Smith Podcast

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...

Dr William Happer is an American physicist, author of 200 plus peer-reviewed scientific papers and co-founder of the CO2 Coalition.

Dr Happer will assure you that there is no climate emergency. If you think otherwise, “you have been misled”.

Happer’s analyses of 'Net Zero’ is timely for a country where politicians perpetuate ill-informed attitudes, and reject the opportunity to meet with him.

Dr Happer delivers much more on podcast...

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.

They justify it as fraud prevention but go far beyond what is proportionate.

And this is only...

David Wolfson (Lord Wolfson of Tredegar, KC) is one of the most sought-after commercial Silks at the Bar. 

He served as Minister of Justice in the House of Lords between 2020 and 2022, and is now the shadow Attorney General in addition to his full time legal practice.  

Wolfson is a man of principle, towering over so many who come up short in that department – especially in the political world.  

He recounts the back...

Interviewing Stephen Rowe exceeded expectations.

He shines as an example of achievement, success and self belief.

If you’re looking for someone to model your life on, he’s the ideal candidate.

After graduating in 2015, Stephen joined Charlie Kirk’s newly founded Turning Point USA. From there, like a rocket he advanced to one success after another.

He has trained more than 24,000 students and leaders in digital strategy and politica...

In 1971, the US dollar was backed by gold. That is until President Richard Nixon disestablished that relationship. 

Since then, the US dollar has lost 87% of its value, meaning that one dollar buys only 12.5% of what it could back then. 

These figures were published on Sept 29, 2024. Today it is even worse. 
 
Multi billionaire Warren Buffet described gold as a ‘pet rock’ – good for nothing. Is that a real...

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 health systems complied with instructions from the USA, to enrich multi-national drug companies.