I read Rogers Rabbits' column (The Weekend Sun, November 17) with interest. Although I'm sure it was tongue in cheek, he had some valid points. Before Jacinda Adern talks to Mr Turnbull about Manus Island refugees we should perhaps put our own house in order.

The number of refugees there pale in comparison with the thousands of our young people who are committing suicide, being bullied and living in deprivation.

A UNICEF report places New Zealand at the top of 41 OECD nations for youth suicide; a rate of 15.6 suicides per 100,000 people. This is five times the rate of Great Britain and equates to 500 per year. The same report places NZ at the bottom of the world in health and welfare of its children and youth.

A really frightening statistic is the OECD report on schoolyard bullying in NZ which places us second from bottom, with only Latvia below us. It says one in four children in NZ have been bullied. The NZ school population is approximately 788,000 so that means about 177,000 are victims. In an average classroom of 30, seven are victims of bullying.

If these statistics could be improved on I'm sure it would give our Prime Minister more standing when criticising others.

J McCoy, Parkvale (Abridged).