He won a scholarship to attend the University of New England, but instead chose to work as a sugarcane cutter and save up to purchase his own property.
He became president of the Clarence River Cane Growers' Association as well as a director of the New South Wales Sugar Milling Co-operative and a member of the New South Wales Cane Growers' Council.
He was elected to the New South Wales Legislative Assembly at the 1984 state election, winning the seat of Clarence for the Nationals from the incumbent Australian Labor Party (ALP) MP Don Day.
[2] In 1990, Causley and deputy premier Wal Murray were investigated by the Independent Commission Against Corruption over allegations they had allowed the sale of Crown land to a National Party donor on non-commercial terms.
Causley successfully sued the Sydney Morning Herald for damages over the allegations.