摘要：T he problems of the welfare system in indigenous communities have been brought into sharp relief by Noel Pearson's recent denunciation of welfare as 'poison'. As well as reflecting concerns of many people involved with indigenous issues, Pearson's arguments were seen by the Howard government as supporting their broader campaign for welfare reform, centred on the concept of 'mutual obligation'. Before the 1970s, indigenous communities were largely excluded from the general welfare system. In large measure this reflect the design of the system as part of a 'wage-earners welfare state'. Indigenous workers, particularly in the pastoral industry, were paid primarily in kind (rations for the workers and their extended families) rather than receiving award wages. In the wake of the 1967 referendum (formally amending the 'race power' in Section 51 of the constitution to allow the Commonwealth to legislate with respect to Aborigines, but generally regarded as giving Aborigines the vote), the policies that had excluded Aborigines from the award system and unemployment benefits became untenable. The move from the rations system to award wages was followed by rapid reductions in the employment of Aboriginal workers by the pastoral industry, which accelerated during the slump in beef prices in the mid-1970s
