Deb Matthews

Hon. Deb Matthews
Honourable Deb Matthews, MPP, Minister of Health and Long-Term Care
MPP for London North Centre
Incumbent
Assumed office  2003
Preceded by	Dianne Cunningham
Minister of Health and Long-Term Care
Incumbent
Assumed office  October 7, 2009
Preceded by	David Caplan
Born	1953 London, Ontario
Political party	Liberal
Residence	London

Deborah Drake Matthews, Ph.D. (born 1953 in London, Ontario) is a politician in Ontario, Canada. She is currently a member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, representing the riding of London North Centre for the Ontario Liberal Party, and is currently the provinces Minister of Health and Long-Term Care in the government of Premier Dalton McGuinty.

Family life

Matthews has extensive family connections to both the Liberal and Progressive Conservative parties. Her father, Don Matthews, was once president of the federal Progressive Conservative Party. Her mother, Joyce Eleanor Matthews (née Drake) is a social activist particularly through her literacy work with Frontier College. Her first husband, Robbie Nash, is a successful investment adviser for National Bank Financial in London. Matthews's second husband, Bruce McCaffrey (who died in 2002), was once a provincial Progressive Conservative Member of Provincial Parliament (MPP), and a cabinet minister in the government of Bill Davis.

She is also the sister-in-law of former Ontario Premier David Peterson, whose brother Tim Peterson was the Member of Provincial Parliament for Mississauga South and whose other brother Jim Peterson was the MP for Willowdale. Matthews has three children and one grandson.

Matthews was formerly known as Deborah Nash, using the surname of her first husband.

Background

Matthews was born in London North Centre. She studied at the University of Western Ontario.

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. You can view her dissertation entitled "Can Immigration Compensate for Below-Replacement Fertility?: The Consequences of the Unbalanced Settlement of Immigrants in Canadian Cities, 2001-2051." at http://www.debmatthews.ca/insidepages.aspx?id=biography.

Politics

Matthews has been involved in the Liberal Party since 1975, when she helped run Peterson's campaign in the old riding of London Centre. 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.

Matthews was Ontario's Minister of Children and Youth Services and Minister Responsible for Women's Issues from October 2007 to October 2009. She is also the chair of the Cabinet Committee on Poverty Reduction.

On December 4, 2008, Matthews introduced Ontario's Poverty Reduction Strategy. 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 Minister of Health and Long-Term Care to replace David Caplan.^[1].

Electoral record

References

External links

• Deb Matthews official MPP Site
• Deb Matthews profile at Legislative Assembly of Ontario
• Deb Matthews Liberal party of Ontario biography