Coralee Ella Oakes (born 1972) is a Canadian politician, who was elected to the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia in the 2013 provincial election.[1] She represented the electoral district of Cariboo North as a member of BC United. Oakes served in Cabinet as Minister of Community, Sport and Cultural Development, and then Minister of Small Business and Red Tape Reduction, and Minister Responsible for the Liquor Distribution Branch.[2]
In Opposition, she has served as the Official Opposition critic for Small Business; for Advanced Education, Skills Training & Sport; and for Post Secondary Education. She was elected by her colleagues in 2022 to chair the then BC Liberal Party caucus.
Oakes is a former two-term Quesnel city councillor and executive director of the Quesnel and District Chamber of Commerce since 1999. As a result of her community work, in 2007 Oakes was appointed by the province to the Small Business Roundtable to represent the rural voice of small business. This work led her to be appointed to the Minister's Council on Tourism in 2009. Oakes is the past president of the British Columbia Chamber Executives and has served as a director on the BC Chamber of Commerce, Canadian Chamber of Commerce Executives, Cariboo Chilcotin Tourism Association and numerous local not-for-profit organizations.[3] On September 12, 2024, Oakes announced her intention to run as an independent in Prince George-North Cariboo for the 2024 British Columbia General Election.[4] She was unseated by Sheldon Clare from the Conservative Party of British Columbia.[5]
