Deb Matthews

Deborah Drake Matthews Template:Post-nominals (born 1953) is a former Canadian politician who served as the 10th deputy premier of Ontario from 2013 to 2018. A member of the Liberal Party, Matthews was the member of Provincial Parliament (MPP) for London North Centre from 2003 to 2018, and was a cabinet minister from 2008 to 2018 in the governments of Dalton McGuinty and Kathleen Wynne.

Early life and education

Her father is Donald Jeune Matthews, former president of the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada from 1971 to 1974, and her sister is Shelley Peterson, the wife of former Ontario Premier David Peterson.<ref>"Best-selling author, actress Shelley Peterson visits library Aug. 16" Template:Webarchive. Orangeville Banner, August 9, 2010.</ref>

She graduated from St. George's Public School and A.B. Lucas Secondary School. She studied at the University of Western Ontario where she earned a PhD in social demography. Her doctoral dissertation was entitled the "Consequences of immigrant concentration in Canada, 2001–2051."<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Political career

2003 election

In the 2003 election, Matthews defeated Progressive Conservative cabinet minister Dianne Cunningham by almost 7,000 votes.<ref name="2003 results">Template:Cite web</ref>

2007 election and in cabinet

Matthews was re-elected in the 2007 election.<ref name="2007 results">Template:Cite web</ref> She was appointed as the minister of children and youth services and minister responsible for women's issues after the election.<ref name="McGuinty2007Cab">Template:Cite news</ref> On December 4, 2008, Matthews introduced Ontario's Poverty Reduction Strategy as chair of the Cabinet Committee on Poverty Reduction. The long-term reduction plan set a target to reduce the number of children living in poverty by 25 per cent over 5 years

2011 election

Matthews was re-elected in the 2011 election,<ref name="2011 results">Template:Cite web</ref> and was re-appointed as health minister on October 20, 2011.<ref name="McGuinty2011Cab">Template:Cite news</ref> In 2012, Matthews came under pressure because of revelations at Ornge, Ontario's air ambulance service. Members of the opposition Progressive Conservative and New Democratic parties called for her to resign. In response to the revelations at Ornge, Matthews announced an Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) investigation.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

2014 election

Following her re-election in 2014,<ref name="2014 results">Template:Cite web</ref> Matthews was shuffled from health to a revamped role as president of the Treasury Board.<ref name="2014WynneCab">Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> On June 13, 2016, she retained her position as deputy premier and was also appointed as minister of advanced education and skills development. She was additionally responsible for digital government. Matthews left cabinet on January 17, 2018, having declined re-election in the 2018 election.<ref name="2016WynneCab">Template:Cite news</ref>

Electoral record

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External links

• Template:Ontario MPP biography