Tim Hudak
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Timothy Hudak is a politician in Ontario, Canada. He is currently a member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, representing the riding of Erie—Lincoln for the Progressive Conservative Party. He is the nominated PC candidate for the new provincial riding of Niagara West-Glanbrook.
Hudak was born in Fort Erie, Ontario. He received a bachelor of arts degree in economics from the University of Western Ontario in 1990. He attended the University of Washington in Seattle on an academic scholarship where he received a master's degree in economics in 1993. Prior to being elected, Hudak worked in economic and tourism development with the Economic Development and Tourism Corporation in Fort Erie. Hudak had been previously employed as a Canada Customs border inspector from 1988 to 1993, and in 1994, was hired as an assistant manager by Wal-Mart to help with the transition of former Woolco stores into Wal-Marts.
In the provincial election of 1995, Hudak defeated Liberal Aubrey Foley by 1,081 votes in the riding of Niagara South. The Progressive Conservatives won a majority government under Mike Harris, although Hudak was not appointed to cabinet during his first term in office. He did serve as parliamentary secretary to Minister of Health, Elizabeth Witmer.
He was re-elected with a 5,878 vote margin in the redistributed riding of Erie—Lincoln in the 1999 provincial election, and was named Minister of Northern Development and Mines on June 17, 1999 (Erie—Lincoln is actually in the southern part of Ontario, but the Tories had few MPPs in northern Ontario at the time.)
On February 8, 2001, he was named Minister of Culture, Tourism and Recreation. He supported Jim Flaherty's unsuccessful bid to become party leader in 2002. On April 15, 2002, new Premier Ernie Eves appointed him Minister of Consumer and Business Services.
The Tories lost the provincial election of 2003, although Hudak was easily re-elected by a margin of 4,058 votes. He again supported Jim Flaherty in the latter's second unsuccessful bid for party leader in 2004. Hudak served as caucus chair from 2003-2004. He served as critic for Municipal Affairs and Infrastructure from 2004-2005, and was named finance critic August 24, 2005.
On October 1, 2006, Hudak was given the additional responsibilities of critic for Ministry of Public Infrastructure Renewal (Ontario) and Minister of Research and Innovation (Ontario).
Hudak is a Blue Tory on the right-wing of the provincial party, and falls more in line with the ideals of former Premier Mike Harris than its current leader, John Tory. On April 12, 2003, he was a featured speaker at a "Canadians for Bush" rally organized by Presbyterian minister Tristan Emmanuel, in support of the 2003 Invasion of Iraq.
In opposition, Hudak introduced a bill to create a new retail system for Ontario Vintners Quality Alliance wines in competition to the provincial distribution system. He has also proposed a bill to restrict residential property assessment increases modelled on similar acts in Florida, Michigan, and Nova Scotia.
