Education
Born in Wau, Papua New Guinea, he was educated at Saint Joseph"s Nudgee College in Brisbane, and at the University of Melbourne, where he received a Bachelor of Commerce.
Born in Wau, Papua New Guinea, he was educated at Saint Joseph"s Nudgee College in Brisbane, and at the University of Melbourne, where he received a Bachelor of Commerce.
He was a nephew of Australian war photographer Damien Parer. He retired from the Senate on 11 February 2000, and his vacant seat was taken by George Brandis under Section 15 of the Australian Constitution. Parer served as President of the Queensland Liberal Party from 2006 until February 2008.
He was also appointed Chair of the Royal Brisbane and Women"s Hospital Foundation in 2010, and Chairman of the Board of Stanwell Corporation Limited in May 2012.
Parer died on Friday 14 March 2014.
Parer became a member of the Senate in 1985, and from March 1996 to October 1998 was Minister for Resources and Energy in John Howard"s government. He was Chair of the Coalition of Australian Governments Independent Energy Review Panel and a member of the Governing Council of the Old Parliament House (Qld).