Deb Matthews

The Honourable Deb Matthews MPP
Deb Matthews Speaking at Canadian Open Dialogue Forum in Ottawa in 2016
Deputy Premier of Ontario
Incumbent
Assumed office February 11, 2013
Preceded by	Dwight Duncan
Member of the Ontario Provincial Parliament for London North Centre
Incumbent
Assumed office October 2, 2003
Preceded by	Dianne Cunningham
Personal details
Born	1953 (age 63–64) London, Ontario
Political party	Liberal
Residence	London, Ontario

Deborah Drake Matthews (born c. 1953) is a politician in Ontario, Canada. She is a Liberal member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario who was elected in 2003. She represents the riding of London North Centre. Matthews served as a cabinet minister in the government of Dalton McGuinty and is a cabinet minister and Deputy Premier of Ontario in the government of Kathleen Wynne.

Matthews was born in London, Ontario. She is the third of nine children born to Donald Jeune Matthews, former president of the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada. Her mother is Joyce Eleanor Matthews, and her sister is Shelley Peterson, the wife of former Ontario Premier David Peterson.

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." She worked at a number of positions in private business and also taught at the University of Western Ontario. Matthews was honoured twice on the University Students' Council Teaching Honour Roll at the University of Western Ontario.

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.