“The fact is that this country has a huge problem that it needs to face up to, and these figures are just the latest that tell the same sad story: that we as a nation are failing our young people,” Mrs Turner said in response to the OECD report released yesterday.

The report showed that New Zealand has the highest suicide rates and level of juvenile crime in the developed world, and the third highest level of teen pregnancies among the 30 nations of the organisation.

“Already we have people questioning the figures, but they should come as no surprise to anyone as they are entirely consistent with many previous studies. The real question is are we going to quibble over these things, or are we actually going to do something for our teenagers?” she said.

“We have to go back to the basics of providing a country fit for bringing up our teenagers; we have to nurture our young people and the families from which they come. That is where it will start. That is where we will find long-term answers to some of these problems.

“There are no quick-fixes; there are no simple answers. It is about a basic change in the world we present to our young people, and I’m sure the Families Commission we are setting up will go a huge way towards creating a better environment for our young people.

The Families Commission, a United Future initiative, will come into being on July 1, next year.

Ends.