{{Short description|Australian politician (1949–2025)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=August 2021}} {{Use Australian English|date=August 2021}} {{Infobox officeholder | honorific_prefix = | name = Paul Clauson | honorific_suffix = {{post-nominals|size=100|country=AUS|AM}} | image = | caption = | constituency_AM1 = Redlands | assembly1 = Queensland Legislative | term_start1 = 2 November 1985 | term_end1 = 2 December 1989 | predecessor1 = John Goleby | successor1 = Darryl Briskey | birth_date = {{Birth date|1949|9|16|df=y}} | birth_place = Brisbane, Queensland, Australia | death_date = {{Death date and age|2025|9|12|1949|9|16|df=y}} | death_place = | resting_place = | birth_name = Paul John Clauson | spouse = Catherine Anne O'Malley (m.1982) | party = National Party | other_party = | relations = | children = | alma_mater = University of Queensland | occupation = Solicitor | profession = | signature = | website = | footnotes = }}
'''Paul John Clauson''' (16 September 1949 – 12 September 2025) was an Australian politician.
== Early life and education == Clauson was born in Brisbane to Alan George Malcolm Clauson and Ethel Marjory (''née'' Montgomery). He attended Wellington Point Primary School and Brisbane Church of England Grammar School. He studied law at the University of Queensland.<ref name=QP>[http://www.parliament.qld.gov.au/members/former/bio?id=2190774023 Clauson, Mr Paul John]; Government of Queensland. Retrieved 12 February 2015.</ref>
== Legal career == Clauson was a solicitor and public servant (1972–1973) and then a judge's associate (1974–1975). From 1975 to 1985 he ran a legal practice; as attorney-general he was called to the Bar in 1987.<ref name=QP/> From 31 October 2014, he was appointed in the role of Legal Services Commissioner Queensland for a three-year term.<ref>https://publications.qld.gov.au/storage/f/2014-10-30T22%3A06%3A14.311Z/31-10-14-combined.pdf {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141208182928/https://publications.qld.gov.au/storage/f/2014-10-30T22%3A06%3A14.311Z/31-10-14-combined.pdf |date=8 December 2014 }} at page 208</ref>
== Parliamentary career == 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 frontbench as Attorney-General of Queensland 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.<ref name=QP/> He was Attorney-General and Minister for Heritage and the Arts from 25 September 1989 to 7 December 1989, Minister for Justice and Attorney-General and Minister for Corrective Services from 19 January 1989 to 29 August 1989, Minister for Justice and Attorney-General from 9 December 1987 to 19 January 1989 and Attorney-General and Minister for Justice from 18 November 1986 to 1 December 1987.<ref name=QP/>
Clauson lost his seat in 1989; he ran again unsuccessfully in 1992.<ref name=QP/>
== Post-parliamentary career == Clauson worked as a consultant following the end of his parliamentary career and was a committee member and executive director of the Infrastructure Association of Queensland for over 15 years and an adjunct professor at Bond University.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.iaq.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/38198537-IAQ-2010.pdf |title=Archived copy |access-date=13 October 2014 |archive-date=26 January 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140126162633/http://www.iaq.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/38198537-IAQ-2010.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref>
He was a member of the board of directors for Ormiston College from March 1991 to September 2014.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ormiston.qld.edu.au/templates/newsletters/?fuseaction=get&id=258 |title=Archived copy |accessdate=2014-10-15 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150309170029/http://www.ormiston.qld.edu.au/templates/newsletters/?fuseaction=get&id=258 |archivedate=9 March 2015 |df=dmy-all }}</ref>
Clauson was made a Member of the Order of Australia in the 2019 Queen's Birthday Honours, for significant service to the law and to the people and Parliament of Queensland.<ref name="itsanhonour">{{cite web |title=Mr Paul John CLAUSON |url=https://honours.pmc.gov.au/honours/awards/2004550 |website=It's an Honour |publisher=Australian Government |access-date=14 January 2026}}</ref>
== Personal life == Clauson's interests included yachting, gardening, fishing, reading, politics, history, cricket and local community groups. He was a member of the Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron, United Service (Queensland), Redlands Cricketers Club and Redlands Bowling Club.<ref name=QP/>
Clauson died on 12 January 2026 at the age of 76.<ref name=QP />
==References== {{reflist}}
{{s-start}} {{s-par|au-qld}} {{s-bef|before=John Goleby}} {{s-ttl|title=Member for Redlands | years=1985–1989}} {{s-aft|after=Darryl Briskey}} {{s-end}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Clauson, Paul}} Category:1949 births Category:2025 deaths Category:National Party of Australia members of the Parliament of Queensland Category:Members of the Queensland Legislative Assembly Category:Attorneys-general of Queensland Category:Members of the Order of Australia Category:People from Redland City Category:Australian solicitors Category:Politicians from Brisbane Category:University of Queensland alumni