John Les (born 1952) is a Canadian politician and former member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) for British Columbia, representing Chilliwack-Sumas from 2001 to 2009, and Chilliwack from 2009 to 2013. A caucus member of the British Columbia Liberal Party, he served in the cabinet of Premier Gordon Campbell as Minister of Small Business and Economic Development from 2004 to 2005, and Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General from 2005 to 2008. Prior to entering provincial politics, he was a municipal councillor and mayor of Chilliwack.
Biography
Born in Chilliwack, He served as a municipal councillor in Chilliwack from 1984 to 1987. With John Jansen resigning as mayor of Chilliwack following his election as MLA in 1986, Les won the 1987 mayoral by-election, and served as mayor until 1999.
He was elected MLA in the 2001 provincial election representing the British Columbia Liberal Party in the newly established riding of Chilliwack-Sumas. Following his re-election in 2005, he was named Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General.
He was re-elected in the newly re-created Chilliwack riding in the 2009 election. After Christy Clark took over as premier in March 2011, Les was named Parliamentary Secretary to the Premier, and became a member of the Treasury Board and the Policies and Priorities Committee.
During his time as MLA, he had chaired the Government Caucus, the Legislative Special Committee on the Citizens' Assembly on Electoral Reform and the Select Standing Committee on Aboriginal Affairs. In March 2014 the BC government announced the appointment of Les to lead a consultation on seismic preparedness, with an annual compensation of $140,000; the appointment was withdrawn shortly thereafter.
He and his wife Mattie have been married since 1973; they have six children together.