The Leighton Smith Podcast
by Newstalk ZB
Latest episode
Leighton Smith Podcast #353 - November 11th 2026 - John Banks
Leighton Smith Podcast #353 - November 11th 2026 - John Banks
About this podcast
After 33 years behind the Newstalk ZB microphone, Leighton can’t give it up completely. There were so many requests to continue his opinionated commentary that the prospect of podcasting was born.
So, without restriction, Leighton continues to serve up on everything you want to hear about and some things you don’t. Stand by to be enlightened, educated and enraged!
Episodes
The newest 50 of 410 episodes
- Leighton Smith Podcast #353 - November 11th 2026 - John Banks · 1 h 3 minWe knew the November 7 election was going to be interesting when John Banks joined us on Podcast 349. But none of us could have predicted quite how eventful — or how fraught —…
- Leighton Smith Podcast #352 - November 4th 2026 - Guy Hatchard · 1 h 22 min“Almost all the political parties competing for our vote in November have put up a united front pretending that the health crisis is solely due to mismanagement and lack of…
- Leighton Smith Podcast #351 - October 28th 2026 - Ramesh Thakur · 1 h 40 minIn Podcast 351, just in time for the election, Ramesh Thakur covers (almost) the world at the highest level. France, England, Australia, New Zealand, climate change, socialism…
- Leighton Smith Podcast #350 - October 21st 2026 - Shane Jones · 1 h 17 minIn Podcast 350, the NZ First Deputy Leader presents the case for both himself and the party. Even Mr Jones confesses the he can be a little aggressive at times. Or as he puts it…
- Leighton Smith Podcast #349 - October 14th 2026 - John Banks · 1 h 17 minIn podcast 349 we continue our series featuring long-serving politicians who know the game inside out, and have a real contribution to make. This week we chat with political…
- Leighton Smith Podcast #348 - October 7th 2026 - Rodney Hide (Part 2) · 1 h 19 minWhen we arranged the interview with ex politician Rodney Hide, we didn’t preplan a list of issues. That could have led to an early conclusion. Instead we breezed through two…
- Leighton Smith Podcast #347 - September 30th 2026 - Rodney Hide (Part 1) · 1 h 24 minRodney Hide entered Parliament as a list member of the ACT Party in 1996. He became ACT Leader in 2004, and following the 2008 election he was appointed Minister for three…
- Leighton Smith Podcast #346 - September 23rd 2026 - Jim Allan · 1 h 35 minProf. James Allan is a highly respected thinker, speaker, debater and a man of intelligence and knowledge. He is also an accomplished author and columnist. Canadian born and…
- Leighton Smith Podcast #345 - September 16th 2026 - Alwyn Poole · 1 h 23 minAlwyn Poole; Education & More. “The first point on how to improve all things education in NZ is that, so long as any government thinks that they are the podium of truth in this…
- Leighton Smith Podcast #344 - September 9th 2026 - David Schnauer · 1 h 22 minNew Zealand once ranked among the world’s most prosperous nations. Not any longer. Armed with experience in both Law and Economics, retired lawyer David Schnauer spent a year…
- Leighton Smith Podcast #343 - September 2nd 2026 - Michael F. Spratt · 1 h 30 minAfter a casual visit to New Zealand, this small American family couldn’t forget it. Mike and his wife went home, sold up everything and moved here. It’s a journey of discovery…
- Leighton Smith Podcast #342 - August 26th 2026 - Ashley Church · 1 h 20 minIn these times it’s difficult to stay updated with the “good, the bad and the ugly.” In this environment it’s easy to be ill-informed. Independent commentator Ashley Church has…
- Leighton Smith Podcast - August 19th 2026 - Shane Jones · 44 minAs Leighton is on a short break, for this week's episode we dig into the archives for a repeat of his interview with NZ First Deputy Leader Shane Jones from earlier in the year…
- Leighton Smith Podcast #341 - August 12th 2026 - 100 Years of ZB · 1 h 35 minWith the celebration of 100 years of broadcasting from 1ZB, we have devoted Podcast 341 to three interviews with the station's past and present management: Bill Francis, Dallas…
- Leighton Smith Podcast #340 - August 5th 2026 - Patrick Basham · 1 h 32 minLet’s be honest, there’s a lot going on in the world - so much so that it’s difficult to keep pace. Take America for example. A transformation is underway that has not yet been…
- Leighton Smith Podcast #339 - July 29th 2026 - Don Brash · 1 h 15 minWorries about the outcome emerge in almost every election. This 2026 election has much of the constituency concerned about a result that could lead to the end of the country as…
- Leighton Smith Podcast #338 - July 22nd 2026 - Sarah Irving-Stonebraker · 1 h 23 minIn our culture today there is a strange set of attitudes toward history. On one hand there’s a highly politicised approach to the past, in which people care passionately about…
- Leighton Smith Podcast #337 - July 15th 2026 - Salvatore Babones · 1 h 25 minSalvatore Babones is a quantitative comparative sociologist (explained in the interview), at the University of Sydney. He is an American living in Australia, and in his most…
- Leighton Smith Podcast #336 - July 8th 2026 - J R Bruning · 1 h 22 minJR 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…
- Leighton Smith Podcast #335 - July 1st 2026 - Muriel Newman · 1 h 18 minThe 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…
- Leighton Smith Podcast #334 - June 24th 2026 - Nick Cater · 1 h 19 minProven 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…
- Leighton Smith Podcast #333 - June 17th 2026 - Dr George Friedman · 1 h 18 minDepending 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…
- Leighton Smith Podcast #332 - June 10th 2026 - Dr Ramesh Thakur · 1 h 44 minDr 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…
- Leighton Smith Podcast #331 - June 3rd 2026 - Barry Soper · 1 h 17 min“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…
- Leighton Smith Podcast #330 - May 27th 2026 - Thorsten Polleit · 1 h 4 min"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…
- Leighton Smith Podcast #329 - May 20th 2026 - Leonard S. Hong · 1 h 26 minLeonard 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…
- Leighton Smith Podcast #328 - May 13th 2026 - Oliver Hartwich · 1 h 26 minAn 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…
- Leighton Smith Podcast #327 - May 6th 2026 - David Bell · 1 h 32 minThe 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…
- Leighton Smith Podcast #326 - April 29th 2026 - Rodney Hide · 1 h 37 minI’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…
- Leighton Smith Podcast #325 - April 22nd 2026 - Guy Hatchard · 1 h 29 min"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…
- Leighton Smith Podcast #324 - April 15th 2026 - Lars Schernikau · 1 h 12 minIt 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…
- Leighton Smith Podcast #323 - April 8th 2026 - George Friedman · 1 h 13 minGeorge 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…
- Leighton Smith Podcast #322 - April 1st 2026 - Louise Clegg · 1 h 22 min“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…
- Leighton Smith Podcast #321 - March 25th 2026 - Ramesh Thakur · 1 h 33 min"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…
- Leighton Smith Podcast #320 - March 18th 2026 - Patrick Basham · 1 h 42 minIn 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…
- Leighton Smith Podcast #319 - March 11th 2026 - Robert MacCulloch · 1 h 12 minThe 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…
- Leighton Smith Podcast #318 - March 4th 2026 - George Friedman · 1 h 14 minMedia 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…
- Leighton Smith Podcast #317 - February 25th 2026 - Jim Allan · 1 h 32 minFor 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…
- Leighton Smith Podcast #316 - February 18th 2026 - Dr Mike Schmidt · 1 h 13 minThere are numerous approaches to management: Legacy, Ideological, Corporate, and Political Management. These combine to produce a system that cannot sustain long-term strategies…
- Leighton Smith Podcast #315 - February 11th 2026 - Shane Jones · 1 h 4 minHaving 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…
- Leighton Smith Podcast - Best Of: James Bovard - February 4th 2026 · 1 h 13 minLeighton 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…
- Leighton Smith Podcast - Best Of: Dr Robert Clancy - January 28th 2026 · 1 h 12 minLeighton 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…
- Leighton Smith Podcast - Best Of: John Alcock - January 21st 2026 · 1 h 1 minLeighton 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…
- Leighton Smith Podcast - Best Of: Ramesh Thakur - January 14th 2026 · 1 h 7 minLeighton 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…
- Leighton Smith Podcast - Best Of: Dr Pierre Kory - January 7th 2026 · 1 h 19 minLeighton 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…
- Leighton Smith Podcast - Best Of: Martin Durkin - December 31st 2025 · 58 minLeighton 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”…
- Leighton Smith Podcast - Best Of: Antonia Colibasanu - December 24th 2025 · 1 h 1 minLeighton 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…
- Leighton Smith Podcast - Best Of: James Allan - December 17th 2025 · 1 h 12 minLeighton 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…
- Leighton Smith Podcast #314 - December 10th 2025 - Mike Sabin · 1 h 38 minMike 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…
- Leighton Smith Podcast #313 - December 3rd 2025 - Dr William Happer · 1 h 14 minDr 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…
