Timothy Patrick Hudak (born November 1, 1967) is a Canadian former politician who was the leader of the Ontario Progressive Conservative (PC) Party and from 2009 to 2014. Hudak was a member of Provincial Parliament (MPP) from 1995 to 2016, and was also the leader of the Opposition in Ontario when he was PC party leader. He served as a cabinet minister in the governments of Mike Harris and Ernie Eves. After resigning his seat in the Ontario legislature in September 2016, Hudak became the chief executive officer of the Ontario Real Estate Association (OREA), which has its headquarters in Toronto. Background Hudak was born in Fort Erie, Ontario, to Anne Marie (née Dillon) and Pat Hudak. His father was a high school principal whose parents came to Canada from Slovakia in advance of World War II. His mother was a teacher, of Irish and French-Canadian descent. Hudak attended the University of Western Ontario, receiving a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics in 1990. He then studied at the University of Washington in Seattle on a full scholarship. He received a master's degree in economics in 1993. While in university, Hudak worked at the Peace Bridge on the US-Canada border from 1988–93. In 1994, he was hired by Walmart as a travelling manager, instructing employees on the company's policies and operating procedures. Politics Early political career Hudak ran in the provincial election of 1995 in the riding of Niagara South. He defeated Liberal Aubrey Foley by 1,081 votes. Aged 27, Hudak was the second-youngest Member of Provincial Parliament (MPP) elected in 1995, the youngest being John Baird. The Progressive Conservatives won a majority government under Mike Harris, and Hudak was appointed Parliamentary Assistant to Minister of Health Jim Wilson. He later served as Parliamentary Assistant to Wilson's successor, Elizabeth Witmer. 1999 election Hudak 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. As part of the party's Provincial Mandate and environmental program, Mr. Hudak voted to enact the Drive Clean Program. On February 8, 2001, he was named Minister of Culture, Tourism and Recreation. As Tourism Minister, Hudak visited 101 festivals and events across Ontario in the summer of 2001 on his More to Discover Tour. Immediately following the September 11 attacks in 2001, Hudak called together leaders