1. Ernie Hardeman was born on December 4,1947 and is a Canadian politician who served as Ontario Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs from 2018 to 2021 in the Doug Ford government and as Minister of Agriculture and Food from 1999 to 2001 in the Mike Harris government.
Ernie Hardeman represents the rural riding of Oxford for the Progressive Conservative Party.
Ernie Hardeman's nephew, John Vanthof, is a current sitting MPP for the New Democratic Party and behind his uncle in the legislature.
Ernie Hardeman served as mayor of the Township of Southwest Oxford from 1988 to 1994.
Ernie Hardeman was elected to the Ontario legislature in the provincial election of 1995, defeating incumbent New Democrat Kimble Sutherland by about 8000 votes.
The Progressive Conservatives under Mike Harris won the election, and Ernie Hardeman was a government backbench supporter for the next four years.
Ernie Hardeman was easily re-elected in the 1999 provincial election.
Ernie Hardeman was appointed to cabinet by Mike Harris as Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs on June 17,1999.
Ernie Hardeman was removed from cabinet on February 7,2001.
Ernie Hardeman supported Jim Flaherty's unsuccessful bid for the Progressive Conservative party's leadership in 2004.
In 2007 Ernie Hardeman was re-elected for a fourth consecutive term.
Ernie Hardeman served as Deputy House Leader and was then promoted to Chair of the Standing Committee on Government Agencies.
Ernie Hardeman is the PC critic for Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs.
On June 16,2008, Ernie Hardeman introduced a private member's bill which allows farmers to post seasonal, directional signage along provincial highways to advertise their Ontario grown produce and direct consumers to the farm.