Ernie Hardeman is Ontario’s new minister of agriculture, food and rural affairs.
The agriculture ministry is a familiar role for Hardeman, who was agriculture minister in Mike Harris’ Conservative government from 1999 to 2001.
Along with Hardeman, many other rural MPPs received significant portfolios Friday from Premier Doug Ford, bringing a voice for rural Ontarians back into cabinet that has been lacking for the past couple of elections when the Liberals’ power was centred in cities.
Rural Ontario had supported the Conservatives for the past two elections, and although the 905 belt of ridings around Toronto brought the Conservatives over the top and into power, experienced rural MPPs got many of the cabinet positions.
Read Also
Premier Equipment acquiring Green Tractors
Premier Equipment is acquiring Green Tractors, creating a 20-location John Deere dealer which will be the largest in Ontario.
Ford had promised when campaigning that he would appoint a farmer as agriculture minister. That limited his options, as only two could be considered farmers: Huron-Bruce MPP Lisa Thompson and Haldimand-Norfolk MPP Toby Barrett, the Tories’ ag critic before the election. Thompson was named Friday as minister of education.
Hardeman, however, has been closely connected with the agriculture community in his riding of Oxford. He operated a feed store in Salford until he was elected to the provincial legislature in 1995.
He was appointed as minister of agriculture, food and rural affairs in 1999, which he held until a cabinet shuffle in 2001. He was appointed as associate minister of municipal affairs and housing with responsibility for rural affairs.
Hardeman’s private members bill that establishes standards for farm implements passed in 2005.
Among the other rural MPPs named to Ford’s cabinet:
- Monte McNaughton, MPP for the riding south of Thompson’s, Lambton-Kent-Middlesex, was named minister of infrastructure;
- Steve Clark, MPP for Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes, was named minister of municipal affairs and housing;
- Jeff Yurek, minister of natural resources and forestry, is the MPP for Elgin-Middlesex-London;
- Sylvia Jones, MPP for Dufferin-Caledon, a rural and urban riding north of Toronto, is the new minister of tourism, culture and sport;
- Todd Smith, MPP for Prince Edward-Hastings, is the government house leader and minister of government and consumer services;
- Jim Wilson, MPP for Simcoe-Grey, is minister of economic development job creation and trade;
- Laurie Scott, MPP for Haliburton-Kawartha Lakes-Brock, is the minister of labour;
- Greg Rickford, MPP for Kenora-Rainy River, is minister of energy, northern development and mines, and minister of indigenous affairs; and
- John Yakabuski, MPP for Renfrew-Nipissing-Pembroke is minister of transportation.
