Maxim Institute

The Maxim Institute is a research and public policy think tank based in Auckland, New Zealand. The Institute's work is oriented toward a conservative perspective on its issues of primary concern, which are now education policy, tax and welfare policy. Although initially identifiable as a social conservative organisation, its policy statements have emphasised fiscal restraint within tax and welfare policy since its former director, Bruce Logan, left in 2005.

The Institute has been involved in public debate in a number of educational policy issues. These include private school funding, teacher registration and training options, bulk funding and related concerns. As it originally arose from the "Education Development Foundation" as its precursor organisation before it rebranded, this is not illogical, although educational policy issues have been a diminished focus since 2001. During the Logan era, free speech, social justice, democracy and constitutional issues were emphasised. The Institute produces research and publications, and advocates for fiscal conservative public policy. It regularly organises a series of political forums and has developed websites in the lead up to New Zealand general elections for the sake of educating voters about the electoral process.

Maxim Institute's mission statement is "to foster ideas and leadership that enable freedom, justice and compassion to flourish in New Zealand."

Since its founding in 2001, Maxim Institute has supported a greater role for "civil society" and community in New Zealand life, notably in education, welfare and social service provision. Mild controversy has hinged on what the Institute considers to be 'civil society' in this context, and concern has been expressed by some small segments of the population about harms contingent on what left-leaning critics view as 'welfare privatisation' and outsourcing to 'questionable' religious conservative social service providers.

The Institute has undertaken extensive research in a number of areas. Most notable amongst their reports are a series on the role of government as expressed through the taxation system, a literature report on father involvement - Going Further with Fathers - and a modelling project looking at school choice - Roll Play.

It has published a wide range of op-eds and analysis on these and other subjects in newspapers, and also produces research and submissions on law and policy (See publications). Since its inception, Maxim Institute has also run an internship programme.

Maxim Institute first gained public recognition in 2003 when it opposed the Prostitution Reform Bill. The Institute stated that the Bill would legitimise and increase the exploitation of women in New Zealand. It also opposed the Civil Union and Relationships Statutory References Bills in the following year, and argued that such moves would make "marriage meaningless." The act was passed, and lesbian and gay New Zealanders acquired secular ceremonial and ritual recognition of their relationships and substantive equal relationship-related rights and responsibilities within most areas of New Zealand law.

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