The Leighton Smith Podcast

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

In 2013 Nick Cater published a book called “The Lucky Culture”. In the intervening years a whole lot has changed, so he is writing a follow-up. And the essay, “Multiculturalism’s Berlin Wall Moment” (Quadrant magazine...

The US-brokered peace deal saw Hamas release the Israeli hostages on Monday – an event watched by both Israel’s CE Ambassador Alan Roth down in Wellington, and Leighton up in Auckland. That evening, they joined up over...

Patrick Basham, founder of Democracy Institute in Washington DC, returns in Podcast 305 to analyse the New York mayoralty election. How could the biggest city in a country founded on freedom, be on the verge of electing...

“With the advent of postmodernism, the literal definition of truth itself has changed. THE truth has been replaced by MY truth and YOUR truth. Truth has become an opinion, no more important than how you like your steak...

There’s a difference between criticising politicians just because you don’t like them, and drawing attention to a politician’s inadequacies when they are failing to deliver. The same applies to a political party. Then...

To suggest that there is considerable turmoil across the globe is an understatement. “Nature abhors a vacuum” is constantly given new reign. Following the Soviet Union’s collapse in 1989, political scientist Francis...

Canadian born Law Professor James Allan holds a New Zealand passport and taught at University of Otago for eleven years. He is also an Australian passport holder and professor at the University of Queensland. In this...

After six weeks north of the Equator, it’s good to be back. "Two years ago, New Zealanders voted for change. Not just a change of government but a change of direction. They were promised fiscal discipline, economic...

Two years ago my son Christian and I recorded an interview in London. Many people commented on it, and many messages requested a repeat. So, under some difficult circumstances we managed it. We have another discussion...

New Zealand’s Big Climate Mistake. This interview with Prof Michael Kelly is full of logic and rationale. A kiwi, Kelly is Professor Emeritus at Cambridge University (coincidentally a place we visited a couple of weeks...

Having recently listened to a few extracts from the last interview we had with Tom Harrington, I was reminded by just how good he is. Tom’s capacity to expose wrong think, and inspire and develop how we do think is...

We are on holiday in Europe at the moment. Of course there will be a full account on return. It was almost two years ago that writer and public speaker Lord Hannan was in NZ, and we recorded an interview which provided...

Imagine a company that has been pursuing its goal for fifteen years, with mixed progress, if you could call it that. The company, Trans Tasman Resources (TTR) has invested over $85 million toward a deep sea mining...

Maryanne Spurdle from the Maxim Institute has produced a Discussion Paper "INTERROGATING CHOICE: Euthanasia and the ILLUSION OF AUTONOMY." The UK has announced their intention to lower the voting age to 16. Canada plans...

"July 19 is the last day that Member States of the World Health Organisation can withdraw from the IHR amendments (without entering a multi-year withdrawal process). By failing to withdraw, they will be committing their...

A Tribute to Professor Des Gorman After interviewing Des Gorman for Podcast 105, this is what we wrote for the podcast email… “This week we drill down on the knowledge, wisdom and opinion of of Des Gorman, Professor of...

Over the last few years there has been much scientific dispute. Climate dominated much of the last forty years, followed and outranked by Covid-19. Both remain very much in the headlines. Science itself has suffered in...