Ernie Hardeman

Ernie Hardeman is a politician in Ontario, Canada. He is currently a member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, representing the rural riding of Oxford for the Progressive Conservative Party.

Hardeman was the owner and operator of "Hardeman Feed Limited", established in Salford, Ontario from 1966 to 1995. He served as Mayor of the Township of Southwest Oxford from 1988 to 1994, was chair of the "Wardens' Association of Ontario" in 1990–91, and served as a Board Member on the Association of Municipalities of Ontario.

Hardeman was first 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 Hardeman was a government backbencher for the next four years. In 1996, he was commissioned by the government to conduct a survey on the possible amalgamation of Hamilton, Ontario into a united municipality.

He was easily re-elected in the 1999 provincial election, and was appointed Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs on June 17, 1999. His tenure in office was largely uneventful, although he did oversee the development of a large debt in Agricorp and was criticized for shutting down agricultural offices around the province. He was dropped from cabinet on February 7, 2001. On February 25, 2003, he returned to cabinet in the new position of Associate Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, with responsibility for Rural Affairs.

Hardeman was re-elected with a reduced majority in the 2003 election. He supported Jim Flaherty's unsuccessful bid for the Progressive Conservative party's leadership in 2004.

In 2007 Hardeman was re-elected for a fourth consecutive term making him the longest serving MPP in Oxford's history. He is currently serving as the deputy house leader and PC critic for Agriculture and Food.