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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.

Queensland Finance Minister Ros Bates speaks to media after the Crisafulli cabinet’s swearing in last November. Credit: Matt Dennien

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 consider

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