Minister shifts board pick into plum new role after conflict concerns

The news

Queensland Finance Minister Ros Bates has handed a recent state port board appointee with links to her governing Liberal National Party a lucrative new position after his property conflicts became too difficult to manage.

Justin Parer, a Cairns-based ship builder, was made a director of Ports North in February but will now take the state-owned energy company Stanwell chair role from Paul Binsted – who had one year still left on his term.

Bates told parliament in a private members’ statement that a conflict management plan was active across Parer’s term after he disclosed an interest in land adjacent to the port facilities while being considered for the role.

But this had become “more difficult to maintain” and meant Parer would leave the board, a move Bates said the government “fully supports”.

“The government welcomes Mr Parer’s commitment to continue serving as he moves into his new role as Stanwell chair,” she said.

Why it matters

Binsted, a former investment banker who also chairs the Energy Corporation of NSW, has Labor links and has also raised funds for the Liberals. Stanwell’s most recent annual report shows he earned $129,000 last financial year. Ports North directors earn about $45,000.

An investigation by this masthead has found David Crisafulli’s first-term LNP government has appointed or reappointed members across 115 of its 320 boards since its election, but only announced one-third of these in a ministerial statement.

Nearly two dozen had explicit LNP links, including Parer, a pre-merger Young Liberal president and son of Howard government minister Warwick Parer. Electoral commission data shows the junior Parer donated more than $70,000 to the LNP since 2016.

Ex-board members and a previous conservative premier have raised concerns, amid calls for reform to the processes wielded by both major parties while in power. Some of the changes recommended by the Queensland Audit Office are “under consideration”, this masthead was told this week.

What they said

Bates also used her parliamentary speech to announce recently appointed Port of Townsville director, barrister Ben Kidston, would now leave that role to chair the Ports North board.

Kidston will replace former chair Russell Beer, a law partner whose most recent term of his 10-year leadership of the board ended last month. Beer’s most recent annual remuneration figure was $98,000.

Bates said the changes completed the “refresh of leadership for all 11 GOC [government-owned corporation] boards that has taken place since the election”.

“Ports North have been working on further developing the common use facility, including private sector engagement,” she said.

“Given the proximity of the land in which Mr Parer has an interest, both the Ports North board and Mr Parer advise the active conflict management plan was becoming more difficult to maintain in practice.”

Both Parer and Binsted have been contacted for comment. This masthead does not suggest either are not qualified or suitable for their roles.

Another perspective

In a statement, Labor’s integrity spokesperson Leeanne Enoch described Bates as “the LNP Jobs for Mates placement officer”.

“The donor with a history of shipbuilding was moved from a ports corporation to chairing an electricity generating company in the blink of the minister’s eye.”

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