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 “Canary in a Climate World: Climate Realism vs the Net Zero Myth,” volume three, his chapter exceeds over 6000 words and exposes eleven shared agendas of Climate Change and Covid.

He is at his very best.

And we visit The Mailroom with Mrs Producer.

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“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 Merit. 

He’s had a long and fascinating career and continues it still as Newstalk ZB’s senior political correspondent. 

His book, ‘One Last Question, Prime Minister’, now in its fourth print, was our excuse to have a most enjoyable conversation in episode #331. 

And as always, we finish in The Mailroom with Mrs Producer.  

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"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, unpacking the agendas of those who wield political power. 

Polleit guests on this episode of the podcast to unpack his stance, and of course, we visit The Mailroom with Mrs Producer.  

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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 many of his friends angry and leaving NZ? 

Leonard S. Hong in conversation, discusses New Zealand’s economic malaise, the brain drain to Australia, Singapore’s development model, meritocracy, and the future facing young New Zealanders.

And as always, we checked the Mailroom with Mrs Producer, and concluded with climate matters. 

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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 planning system, consultation requirements, and public service culture. 

The novella is meant to entertain but reeks of reality – especially for those who have been challenged by the system. 

We also bring to your attention the latest, very significant, information about climate change. 

And we end in the mailroom with Mrs Producer.  

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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, discusses in depth what this report means for the WHO and for the future of global health. 

We also comment on the country whose energy policies are being slammed as nonsense in a scathing critique, and the similarities with the foolishness in New Zealand. 

And as always, we end in the mailroom with Mrs Producer. 

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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 discussion.

We included politics and politicians, A.I.,the economy, Anzac relevance, the Middle East and Trump.

And, of course, at the end of it all, The Mailroom with Mrs Producer.

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"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 but conclude that there has been a massive failure of individual and collective intelligence”.

Answers and analysis in a fulsome discussion with Guy Hatchard.

And we finish up in The Mailroom with Mrs Producer.

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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 thought with Energy Economist Dr Lars Schernikau in this weeks interview.

And we visit The Mailroom with Mrs Producer.

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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 failure, and critique AI.

And we visit The Mailroom with Mrs Producer.

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