Motu Economic and Public Policy Research

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Motu Economic and Public Policy Research is an economic and public policy research institute based in Wellington, New Zealand.

Founded in September 2000 [1] on the model of non-political US research institutes funded by grants and donations, [1] the initial trustees were Dr Grant Scobie, Sir Geoffrey Palmer and Dr Ann Sullivan. The institute's goal is to be fully independent, with no expressed ideology or political position. A registered charitable trust, contract funding comes from various sources including government departments and private companies, and they also receive additional, non-contract funding by way of endowments and donations from public and private institutions and individuals via the associated Motu Research and Education Foundation.

Motu is the top economics organisation in New Zealand according to RePEc [2] and was the top climate think tank in Oceania in 2015 according to the International Center for Climate Governance. [3]

Research reports have included such areas as innovation and productivity, [4] [5] climate change, [6] emissions trading, [7] well-being, [8] and housing affordability. [9] In January 2022 it produced an assessment of the New Zealand government's Families Package. [10]

It hosts the Human Rights Measurement Initiative established in 2016.

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References

  1. 1 2 First annual report, motu.org.nz
  2. , RePEc
  3. , International Center for Climate Governance
  4. "NZ firms innovate more with R&D grants, report shows", NBR, 29 June 2015
  5. "Science funding under the microscope", Radio NZ, 2 October 2015
  6. "NZ Climate attitudes survey – Expert reaction", Science Media Centre, 15 May 2015
  7. "Environmental expert wins major award for economics", Aug 26 2010, nzherald.co.nz
  8. "Happiness is...doing better than the neighbours", NZ Herald, 16 June 2015
  9. "Houses prices just supply and demand", 16 April 2015, stuff.co.nz
  10. "Benefit increases going to more than half of families with children - report". RNZ. 26 January 2022. Retrieved 1 April 2022.