Meet Ernie Hardeman

Ernie Hardeman was first elected MPP for Oxford in 1995.

Ernie continues to work with the people of Oxford to help them with questions and concerns regarding the provincial government. He is a strong advocate for Oxford and works hard to share concerns and feedback with government.
There are many items in the PC platform that Ernie knows would have a positive impact on Oxford and the rest of the province.  
“I want to be a part of making that happen,” he said. 
Throughout his time in the Ontario Legislature, Ernie has held many positions including Associate Minister of Municipal Affairs (Rural), Chair of the Legislative Committee on Public Accounts and Finance, and twice he has served as Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. 
He has shown leadership in promoting the agricultural community in Oxford, in promoting Oxford as a destination for business, and in giving municipalities the right to say no to a landfill.
Prior to the 1995 election, Ernie was elected to the Township of South-West Oxford council and served as Mayor from 1988 to 1994. Ernie also represented the people of Oxford as Warden of Oxford County council, chair of the Warden’s Association of Ontario, chair of the Rural Ontario Municipal Association (ROMA) and on the board of the Association of Municipalities of Ontario. 
As the representative for Oxford, Ernie has had many Private Member’s Bills pass, including the Signage to Promote Ontario Produced Agriculture Products Act and a motion to allow MPPs to have Remembrance Day Poppy donation boxes in their offices. In November 2013, the Legislature passed Ernie’s Private Member’s Bill, the Hawkins Gignac Act, to require carbon monoxide detectors in all homes. It was named in memory of a Woodstock family who were tragically lost due to carbon monoxide poisoning. 
Before being elected in 1995, Ernie owned and operated Hardeman Feed Ltd. in Salford and served as a volunteer firefighter, retiring as Captain of the South-West Oxford Fire Department. He and his wife, Reta, have three sons and a daughter.