Deb Matthews
Encyclopedia
Deborah Drake Matthews, Ph.D. (born 1953 in London, Ontario
) is a politician
in Ontario
, Canada
. She is a member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario
, representing the riding of London North Centre
for the Ontario Liberal Party
, and is currently the province's Minister of Health and Long-Term Care in the government of Premier
Dalton McGuinty
.
and graduated from St. George’s Public School and A.B. Lucas Secondary School. She studied at the University of Western Ontario
.
. She co-chaired the Liberal Party's provincial campaigns in the elections of 1987
and 1995
. Matthews was elected as President of the Ontario Liberal Party in 2003 and held the post until resigning in late 2006.
In the 2003 election
, Matthews defeated Progressive Conservative
cabinet minister Dianne Cunningham
by almost 7,000 votes. Her riding includes significant portions of the London Centre riding once represented by her brother-in-law.
On October 23, 2003, she was appointed parliamentary assistant to Sandra Pupatello
, Ontario's Minister of Community and Social Services.
In the 2007 election
, Matthews defeated Progressive Conservative Rob Alder by over 10,000 votes. She served as Ontario's Minister of Children and Youth Services and Minister Responsible for Women's Issues from October 2007 to October 2009.
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.
On October 7, 2009, Matthews was named Minister of Health and Long-Term Care to replace David Caplan
.
In the 2011 election, Matthews defeated Progressive Conservative Nancy Branscombe by over 6,000 votes. She was reappointed as Minister of Health and Long-Term Care on October 20, 2011.
|-
|Deb Matthews
|align="right"|19,157
|align="right"|43.81%
|align="right"|-2.86%
|-
|Nancy Branscombe
|align="right"|12,628
|align="right"|28.88%
|align="right"|+4.40%
|-
|Steve Holmes
|align="right"|9,875
|align="right"|22.58%
|align="right"|+6.07%
|-
|Kevin Labonte
|align="right"|1,512
|align="right"|3.46%
|align="right"|-8.88%
|}
|-
|Deb Matthews
|align="right"|21,669
|align="right"|46.7%
|align="right"|+3.27%
|-
|Rob Alder
|align="right"|11,366
|align="right"|24.5%
|align="right"|-4.42%
|-
|Steve Holmes
|align="right"|7,667
|align="right"|16.5%
|align="right"|-8.03%
|-
|Brett McKenzie
|align="right"|5,730
|align="right"|12.3%
|align="right"|+10.62%
|}
|-
|Deb Matthews
|align=right|20,212
|align=right|43.43%
|align=right| +22.54%
|-
|Dianne Cunningham
|align=right|13,460
|align=right|28.92%
|align=right| -11.29%
|-
|Rebecca Coulter
|align=right|11,414
|align=right|24.53%
|align=right| -11.93%
|-
|Bronagh Joyce Morgan
|align=right|780
|align=right|1.68%
|align=right| +0.88%
|-
|Craig Smith
|align=right|432
|align=right|0.93%
|align=right| -0.09%
|-
|Lisa Turner
|align=right|242
|align=right|0.52%
|align=right| +0.18%
London, Ontario
London is a city in Southwestern Ontario, Canada, situated along the Quebec City – Windsor Corridor. The city has a population of 352,395, and the metropolitan area has a population of 457,720, according to the 2006 Canadian census; the metro population in 2009 was estimated at 489,274. The city...
) is a politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
in Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. She is a member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario
Legislative Assembly of Ontario
The Legislative Assembly of Ontario , is the legislature of the Canadian province of Ontario, and is the second largest provincial legislature of Canada...
, representing the riding of London North Centre
London North Centre (provincial electoral district)
London North Centre is an electoral district in the province of Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario since 1951...
for the Ontario Liberal Party
Ontario Liberal Party
The Ontario Liberal Party is a provincial political party in the province of Ontario, Canada. It has formed the Government of Ontario since the provincial election of 2003. The party is ideologically aligned with the Liberal Party of Canada but the two parties are organizationally independent and...
, and is currently the province's Minister of Health and Long-Term Care in the government of Premier
Premier of Ontario
The Premier of Ontario is the first Minister of the Crown for the Canadian province of Ontario. The Premier is appointed as the province's head of government by the Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, and presides over the Executive council, or Cabinet. The Executive Council Act The Premier of Ontario...
Dalton McGuinty
Dalton McGuinty
Dalton James Patrick McGuinty, Jr., MPP is a Canadian lawyer, politician and, since October 23, 2003, the 24th and current Premier of the Canadian province of Ontario....
.
Family life
Deb Matthews is the third of six children born to Joyce Eleanor Matthews and the children of Donald Jeune Matthews. She is the sister of Shelley Peterson, wife of former Ontario Premier David Peterson, and the granddaughter of John Henry (Jack) Matthews, who was the former Mayor of Brampton, Ontario and who previously ran as a CCF candidate. Matthews has three children and four grandchildren.Background
Matthews was born in London North CentreLondon North Centre
London North Centre is an electoral district in the province of Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1997....
and graduated from St. George’s Public School and A.B. Lucas Secondary School. She studied at the University of Western Ontario
University of Western Ontario
The University of Western Ontario is a public research university located in London, Ontario, Canada. The university's main campus covers of land, with the Thames River cutting through the eastern portion of the main campus. Western administers its programs through 12 different faculties and...
.
Work history
Before entering politics, Matthews held a number of positions in various fields. She has experience in the business community, the construction industry, fundraising in the non-profit sector and teaching at the University of Western Ontario. Matthews was honoured twice on the University Students' Council Teaching Honour Roll at the University of Western Ontario.Community involvement
Matthews is actively involved in numerous community activities in London. This includes Orchestra London and the Thames Valley Children's Centre. Matthews also served on the advisory boards for the Salvation Army and the Canadian National Institute for the Blind and as board member and president of the Big Sisters of London. In 1995-96, Matthews served as the fundraising co-coordinator for the Boys’ and Girls’ Club of London.Education
In 2006, Matthews earned her PhD in social demography at the University of Western Ontario. Her dissertation was entitled "Can Immigration Compensate for Below-Replacement Fertility?: The Consequences of the Unbalanced Settlement of Immigrants in Canadian Cities, 2001-2051."Politics
Matthews has been involved in the Liberal Party since 1975, when she helped run Peterson's campaign in the old riding of London CentreLondon Centre
London Centre is a defunct Ontario provincial electoral district that was abolished in 1996. Its most notable representative was former Liberal Premier David Peterson, and was located in London, Ontario...
. She co-chaired the Liberal Party's provincial campaigns in the elections of 1987
Ontario general election, 1987
The Ontario general election of 1987 was held on September 10, 1987, to elect members of the 34th Legislative Assembly of the Province of Ontario, Canada.The governing Ontario Liberal Party, led by David Peterson, was returned to power with a large majority...
and 1995
Ontario general election, 1995
The Ontario general election of 1995 was held on June 8, 1995, to elect members of the 36th Legislative Assembly of the province of Ontario, Canada...
. Matthews was elected as President of the Ontario Liberal Party in 2003 and held the post until resigning in late 2006.
In the 2003 election
Ontario general election, 2003
The Ontario general election of 2003 was held on October 2, 2003, to elect the 103 members of the 38th Legislative Assembly of the Province of Ontario, Canada....
, Matthews defeated Progressive Conservative
Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario
The Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario , is a right-of-centre political party in Ontario, Canada. The party was known for many years as "Ontario's natural governing party." It has ruled the province for 80 of the years since Confederation, including an uninterrupted run from 1943 to 1985...
cabinet minister Dianne Cunningham
Dianne Cunningham
Dianne Cunningham is a politician in Ontario, Canada. She was a Progressive Conservative member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1988 to 2003, and a cabinet minister in the governments of Mike Harris and Ernie Eves....
by almost 7,000 votes. Her riding includes significant portions of the London Centre riding once represented by her brother-in-law.
On October 23, 2003, she was appointed parliamentary assistant to Sandra Pupatello
Sandra Pupatello
Sandra Pupatello was a politician in Ontario, Canada. She served in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1995 to 2011 as a member of the Ontario Liberal Party, serving as a Minister in the government of Dalton McGuinty....
, Ontario's Minister of Community and Social Services.
In the 2007 election
Ontario general election, 2007
The Ontario general election of 2007 was held on October 10, 2007 to elect members of the 39th Legislative Assembly of the Province of Ontario, Canada. The Liberals under Dalton McGuinty won the election with a majority government, winning 71 out of a possible 107 seats with 42.2% of the popular...
, Matthews defeated Progressive Conservative Rob Alder by over 10,000 votes. She served as Ontario's Minister of Children and Youth Services and Minister Responsible for Women's Issues from October 2007 to October 2009.
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.
On October 7, 2009, Matthews was named Minister of Health and Long-Term Care to replace David Caplan
David Caplan
David Caplan is a politician in Ontario, Canada. He is a member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, and was a cabinet minister in the government of Liberal Premier Dalton McGuinty...
.
In the 2011 election, Matthews defeated Progressive Conservative Nancy Branscombe by over 6,000 votes. She was reappointed as Minister of Health and Long-Term Care on October 20, 2011.
Electoral record
|-
|Deb Matthews
|align="right"|19,157
|align="right"|43.81%
|align="right"|-2.86%
|-
|Nancy Branscombe
|align="right"|12,628
|align="right"|28.88%
|align="right"|+4.40%
|-
|Steve Holmes
|align="right"|9,875
|align="right"|22.58%
|align="right"|+6.07%
|-
|Kevin Labonte
|align="right"|1,512
|align="right"|3.46%
|align="right"|-8.88%
|}
|-
|Deb Matthews
|align="right"|21,669
|align="right"|46.7%
|align="right"|+3.27%
|-
|Rob Alder
|align="right"|11,366
|align="right"|24.5%
|align="right"|-4.42%
|-
|Steve Holmes
|align="right"|7,667
|align="right"|16.5%
|align="right"|-8.03%
|-
|Brett McKenzie
|align="right"|5,730
|align="right"|12.3%
|align="right"|+10.62%
|}
|-
|Deb Matthews
|align=right|20,212
|align=right|43.43%
|align=right| +22.54%
|-
|Dianne Cunningham
Dianne Cunningham
Dianne Cunningham is a politician in Ontario, Canada. She was a Progressive Conservative member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1988 to 2003, and a cabinet minister in the governments of Mike Harris and Ernie Eves....
|align=right|13,460
|align=right|28.92%
|align=right| -11.29%
|-
|Rebecca Coulter
|align=right|11,414
|align=right|24.53%
|align=right| -11.93%
|-
|Bronagh Joyce Morgan
|align=right|780
|align=right|1.68%
|align=right| +0.88%
|-
|Craig Smith
|align=right|432
|align=right|0.93%
|align=right| -0.09%
|-
|Lisa Turner
|align=right|242
|align=right|0.52%
|align=right| +0.18%