He was a Progressive Conservative member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1995 to 2014, representing the riding of Oshawa.

[3] He was re-elected by about 7,000 votes over Liberal Chris Topple in the 1999 provincial election, with the NDP falling to third place.

Ouellette supported Ernie Eves in the Progressive Conservative Party's 2002 leadership convention, and on April 15, 2002, was appointed Ontario Minister of Natural Resources.

[5] In this capacity, he was generally regarded as an ally of the province's fishing and hunting community.

[6] But the Progressive Conservatives lost the election and Ouellette moved to the opposition benches.