PC Candidate Profile: Ernie Hardeman

Wednesday, 12 February 2025 06:32

Ernie Hardeman would like to stay on as the Conservative MPP for Oxford County.

OXFORD COUNTY - He's been our MPP for three decades and he's running for another term.

Ernie Hardeman was first elected as the Progressive Conservative MPP for Oxford County in 1995, and he's now campaigning in his ninth election.

He has had a lot of accomplishments throughout his political career so far, but the passing of the Hawkins Gignac Act in 2013 was a big one for him. The law requires all homes in Ontario to have working carbon monoxide detectors.

"Shortly after I got it passed, I got a call from the Brampton Fire Department. They wanted to thank me, so they gave me a plaque that called me a Fire Hero because they had recently responded to a house fire were six people were rescued from carbon monoxide."

Some of his other career highlights include bringing the new hospital to Woodstock and serving as the Minister of Agriculture in 1999 and 2018.

If he's re-elected for another term, Hardeman is looking forward to continuing to serve the people of Oxford.

"I enjoy looking after the people that come to the office with a problem that I can solve. I go to Queens Park, contact a Minister or contact the bureaucracy somewhere, get something done, and usually get a note from someone thanking me. That's what the job is all about."

He's also excited to see the Homelessness, Addiction, Recovery, and Treatment (HART) Hub in Woodstock come to fruition.

"We need to move that forward to get it to its full extent to provide wrap around services for people that find themselves in that predicament."

Ontario is a major trading partner with the United States, so it would be hit hard by the 25 percent tariffs proposed by President Donald Trump. Hardeman says the Ford Government has done a great job trying to protect Ontario's economy, and it should continue doing so.

He's confident that the people of Oxford County and the rest of the province will agree.

"That will show them (the Trump administration) that the people are with us to make sure that we protect not only our workers, but the workers on both sides and the industries on both sides."

Ontarians will head to the polls on February 27th.