The Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission says governments should
read a new book about how Aborigines have been disenfranchised.

Social Justice Commissioner Dr William Jonas has launched the book in
Brisbane called Black Lives, Government Lies by Dr Ros Kidd.

Dr Jonas says it cites further evidence of mistreatment of Aboriginal
people and provides a case for compensation.

The Queensland Government is paying Indigenous residents up to $4,000 for
wages withheld under past policies.

"She got access to the records and she has pointed out in the book that
there was an enormous amount of paperwork generated by the policies and
the awful things that happened in the past and that that information is
there, and it is available, and people should have access to it and that
way, I think, you might get some sort of just compensation, rather than a
figure that's just seems to have been pulled out of the air," he said.