Just the same as Ernie, perhaps (8)
I believe the answer is:
likewise
'just the same' is the definition.
(thesaurus)
'as ernie perhaps' is the wordplay.
'as' becomes 'like' (I've seen this in other clues).
'ernie perhaps' becomes 'Wise' (comedian Ernie Wise).
'like'+'wise'='LIKEWISE'
(Other definitions for likewise that I've seen before include "Also; similarly" , "In addition, similarly" , "In similar manner" , "In similar way" , "In a similar fashion" .)