In 1985 he was elected to the Queensland Legislative Assembly as the National Party member for Redlands in a by-election. He was promoted to the front-bench as Attorney-General and Minister for Justice in 1986 where he was responsible for administration of the Queensland Judicial System including justice legislation, prison administration and development and matters associated with the development and promotion of legislative reform, victims rights and corporate regulation.
As Attorney-General of Queensland, he played an important government role in the operation of the Fitzgerald Inquiry into police corruption from 1987 to 1989.
Clauson lost his seat in 1989; he ran again unsuccessfully in 1992.
He was a member of the Board of Directors for Ormiston College from March 1991 to September 2014.
He was a solicitor and public servant, 1972 to 1973, and then a judge's associate in 1974 to 1975. From 1975 to 1985 he ran a legal practice; and as Attorney-General, he was called to the Bar in 1987. From 31 October 2014, he was appointed in the role of Legal Services Commissioner Queensland for a three-year term.
