{{short description|Canadian political figure}} '''Deb Hutton''' is a former chief of staff to Premier Mike Harris and a current Metrolinx board member.
== Early life and education == Hutton's father worked in real estate and her mother was a teacher as she grew up in Listowel, Ontario.<ref name=":1">{{Cite news |last=Urquhart |first=Ian |date=2003-08-09 |title=They call her 'Premier Hutton' |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-toronto-star-they-call-her-premier/163434406/ |access-date=2025-01-19 |work=The Toronto Star |pages=[https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-toronto-star-they-call-her-premier/163434406/],[https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-toronto-star/163434571/]}}</ref>
Hutton earned her undergraduate degree in political science from the University of Western Ontario in 1988.<ref name=":1" />
== Career == In 1995 Hutton was an executive assistant on the team working with Mike Harris.<ref name="G News">{{cite news |last1=D'Mello |first1=Colin |last2=Callan |first2=Isaac |date=October 24, 2023 |title=Former conservative insider brought in to look for Ford government Greenbelt conflicts |url=https://globalnews.ca/news/10045303/deb-hutton-greenbelt-consulting-ford-government/ |work=Global News |publisher=Corus Entertainment}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite news |last=Toughill |first=Kelly |date=1995-07-17 |title=The group of 7 who help Mike make his mark |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-toronto-star-the-group-of-7-who-help/163413321/ |access-date=2025-01-19 |work=The Toronto Star |pages=[https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-toronto-star-the-group-of-7-who-help/163413321/],[https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-toronto-star-tightly-knit-harris-tea/163413238/]}}</ref> In 1996 Hutton was one of the attendees of a meeting that took place just prior to death of Anthony George, an event later known as the Ipperwash Crisis.<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Edwards |first1=Peter |last2=Levy |first2=Harold |date=1996-05-29 |title=Secret talks held on Ipperwash |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/948636548/?match=1&clipping_id=163450759 |access-date=2025-01-19 |work=The Toronto Star |pages=[https://www.newspapers.com/image/948636548/?match=1&clipping_id=163450759],[https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-toronto-star/163451155/]}}</ref> Shortly thereafter, during a violent confrontation, the Ontario Provincial Police killed a protester.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2005-11-22 |title=Quick end wanted to standoff at Ipperwash, inquiry hears |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/waterloo-region-record-quick-end-wanted/163433879/ |access-date=2025-01-19 |work=Waterloo Region Record |pages=31}}</ref> During the public inquiry the provincial government led by Harris were scrutinized for the 1995 Ipperwash Crisis.<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/canadianannualre0000unse_z4s0/mode/2up?q=%22deb+hutton%22 |title=Canadian annual review of politics and public affairs |date=2005 |publisher=Toronto : University of Toronto Press |others=Internet Archive |pages=204–205}}</ref> At that time, Hutton expressed "a desire to direct the police" to put a quick end to the occupation within two days.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Edwards |first=Peter |date=2005-09-20 |title=Aide wanted 'quick end' to Ipperwash occupation |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-toronto-star-aide-wanted-quick-end/163434265/ |access-date=2025-01-19 |work=The Toronto Star |pages=17}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/blockadesorbreak0000unse/page/276/mode/2up?q=%22deb+hutton%22 |title=Blockades or breakthroughs? : First Nations confront the Canadian state |date=2014 |publisher=Montreal & Kingston : McGill-Queen's University Press |others=Internet Archive |isbn=978-0-7735-9612-2 |page=277}}</ref> Later publications on the event also raise the question of whether Harris was making decisions during the event or Hutton.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Hedican |first=Edward J. |url=https://archive.org/details/ipperwashtragicf0000hedi/page/162/mode/2up?q=%22deb+hutton%22 |title=Ipperwash : the tragic failure of Canada's Aboriginal policy |date=2013 |publisher=Toronto [Ont.] : University of Toronto Press |others=Internet Archive |isbn=978-1-4426-8543-7 |pages=163–164}}</ref>
From 2000 until 2003 Hutton was a vice president at Hydro One,<ref>{{Cite news |date=19 January 2004 |title=Energy minister lashes out over Hydro One executive expenses |work=Peterborough Examiner; Peterborough, Ontario |pages=A5 |id={{ProQuest| }} }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Mackie |first=Richard |date=2 March 2004 |title=Tories bit tongues about job for Hutton |work=The Globe and Mail ; Toronto, Ontario |pages=A10 |id={{ProQuest| }} }}</ref> and then as of 2003 she was a special advisor to Ernie Eves, then Premier of Ontario.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Reid |first=Kalvin |date=2003-09-22 |title=Deb Hutton: The woman behind the Tories |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/niagara-falls-review-deb-hutton-the-wom/163435260/ |access-date=2025-01-19 |work=Niagara Falls Review |page=2}}</ref> Around this time she acquired the nickname "Premier Hutton" because of her influence on the politics of Eves' administration.<ref name=":1" />
In 2004 Hutton worked on Belinda Stronach's campaign to lead the Conservative Party.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Laghi |first=Brian |date=2004-01-21 |title=New campaign team gathered together from old Tory stable |url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/new-campaign-team-gathered-together-from-old-tory-stable/article992907/ |access-date=2025-01-19 |work=The Globe and Mail |language=en-CA}}</ref> Hutton guided Stronach through the process and Hutton considered Stronach to be easy to work with as Hutton laiddown guidelines to be followed during the campaign.<ref name=":2">{{Cite book |last=Martin |first=Don |url=https://archive.org/details/belindapolitical0000mart/mode/2up?q=%22deb+hutton%22 |title=Belinda : the political and private life of Belinda Stronach |date=2006 |publisher=Toronto, Ont. : Key Porter Books |others=Internet Archive |isbn=978-1-55263-814-9}}</ref>{{Rp|page=|pages=137–138}} The campaign was not successful, though in 2006 Hutton spoke on the large amount of media coverage received by the campaign.<ref name=":2" />{{Rp|page=140}}
Between October 2009 and October 2020 Hutton worked for TransCanada Enterprises,<ref>{{Cite news |last=Jenkins |first=Jonathan |date=19 October 2012 |title=Tory leader's wife was working for gas plant |work=The Toronto Sun; Toronto |pages=14 |id={{ProQuest| }} }}</ref> and this work later became of political interest to Canada's Liberal Party.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Leslie |first=Keith |date=2013-04-26 |title=Liberals target PC leader's wife over cancelled Oakville gas plant |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/waterloo-region-record-liberals-target-p/163435602/ |access-date=2025-01-19 |work=Waterloo Region Record |pages=16}}</ref>
In 2017 Hutton wrote a column defending the policies of Patrick Brown.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Hepburn |first=Bob |date=2017-04-27 |title=How the right defends 'policy-lite' Brown |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-toronto-star-how-the-right-defends/163436047/ |access-date=2025-01-19 |work=The Toronto Star |pages=17}}</ref>
Hutton was interim Chief of Staff to Minister Caroline Mulroney in 2020.<ref name="Trillium" /> Hutton helped Ford prepare for the 2022 Ontario general election, by acting as Andrea Horwath in mock debates.<ref name="Trillium" /><ref>{{cite news |last1=Benzie |first1=Robert |title=The inside story of how Doug Ford beat the NDP — and destroyed the Liberals — in the Ontario election |url=https://www.thestar.com/politics/provincial/the-inside-story-of-how-doug-ford-beat-the-ndp-and-destroyed-the-liberals-in/article_db5b2c96-a35a-5d33-96df-4f92b04b437a.html |work=Toronto Star |date=9 June 2022 |language=en}}</ref> She has been on the board of Metrolinx since 2022.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Oliphant |first1=Andrew |title=What Is Metrolinx, Anyway? |url=https://www.thegrindmag.ca/what-is-metrolinx-anyway/ |website=The Grind Magazine |date=16 September 2024}}</ref><ref name="metroPA">{{cite web |title=Metrolinx Public Appointments |url=https://www.pas.gov.on.ca/Home/Agency/486 |website=Government of Ontario |access-date=19 January 2025}}</ref>
Hutton worked for Premier Doug Ford in the aftermath of the Greenbelt scandal in a volunteer capacity. She advised Cabinet Ministers and their Chiefs of staff on how to avoid conflicts of interest.<ref name="G News"/><ref name=Trillium>{{cite news |last1=Pinkerton |first1=Charlie |title=Ford government taps veteran PC strategist to help with Greenbelt, Vegas fallout |url=https://www.thetrillium.ca/news/politics/ford-government-taps-veteran-pc-strategist-to-help-with-greenbelt-vegas-fallout-7723970 |work=The Trillium |date=23 October 2023 |language=en}}</ref>
== Personal life == Hutton is the wife of former Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario leader Tim Hudak.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Diebel |first1=Linda |date=1 October 2011 |title=Tim Hudak's daughter Miller the light of his life |url=https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/tim-hudak-s-daughter-miller-the-light-of-his-life/article_6e0cdf36-07eb-5693-8c41-9c928b99636f.html |work=Toronto Star |language=en}}</ref> They were married in 2002.<ref name=":1" />
==References== {{reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hutton, Deb}} Category:People from Perth County, Ontario Category:Living people Category:University of Western Ontario alumni Category:Canadian political consultants Category:Year of birth missing (living people)