Career
Hardeman was the owner and operator of Hardeman Feed Limited, established in Salford, Ontario from 1966 to 1995. He served as Mayor of the Township of Southwest Oxford from 1988 to 1994. He was chair of the Wardens" Association of Ontario in 1990-1991, and served as a Board Member on the Association of Municipalities of Ontario.
Hardeman was elected to the Ontario legislature in the provincial election of 1995, defeating incumbent New Democrat Kimble Sutherland by about 8000 votes.
In 1996, he was commissioned by the government to conduct a survey on the possible amalgamation of Hamilton, Ontario into a united municipality. He was easily re-elected in the 1999 provincial election.
He was appointed to cabinet by Mike Harris as Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs on June 17, 1999. As Minister, he replaced agricultural offices with the Agricultural Information Contact Centre.
He was removed from cabinet on February 7, 2001.
He was cited for poor management of his portfolio. Hardeman was re-elected in the 2003 election. He supported Jim Flaherty"s unsuccessful bid for the Progressive Conservative party"s leadership in 2004.
On June 13, 2005 Hardeman"s private members bill, Farm Implements Amendment Acting, received third reading and royal assent.
In 2007 Hardeman was re-elected for a fourth consecutive term. He served as Deputy House Leader and was then promoted to Chair of the Standing Committee on Government Agencies.
He is also the Personal Computer critic for Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. On June 16, 2008 Hardeman introduced a private member"s bill which allows farmers to post seasonal, directional signage along provincial highways to advertise their Ontario grown produce and direct consumers to the farm.
The bill was supported by many agricultural groups and unanimously passed first, second and third reading.
On December 10, 2008 Signage to Promote Ontario Produced Agricultural Products Acting received royal assent and became law. Cabinet positions.
