The differences between Indigenous and not Indigenous Australians can be easily attributed not to differences in their genes but to differences in the conditions in which they're born, grow, live, work and age - in other words, to the social determinants of health.

I don't blame people for smoking when I see a social gradient in smoking. I say we need to understand why is it the lower you are in the hierarchy the more likely you are to smoke. So we need to address the causes of the causes.

Australia is a very healthy country which goes along with the fact that it's very high on the Human Development Index, high wealth, good levels of education. So Australia ranks right up there, second or third on the Human Development Index. And Indigenous Australians, if you treated them as if they were a separate country, would rank probably about 100th or below 100.

We have to put reduction of health inequalities at the centre of our public health strategy and that will require action on the social determinants of health.

Saying we can't afford to invest in early child development means we're storing up bigger costs in the future.

Your position in the hierarchy influences your behaviour.

Throwing young people on the scrap heap is a public health emergency.