Raj Saini

Saini's political leanings were formed growing up in a Liberal household in Mississauga in the 1970s and 1980s, and later as a student at the University of Toronto,{{cite web|url=http://www.therecord.com/news-story/6058693-newly-elected-mp-raj-saini-ready-to-give-back-to-kitchener/ |title=Newly elected MP Raj Saini ready to 'give back' to Kitchener |website=Therecord.com |date=2015-10-28 |access-date=2016-11-30}} where he completed a bachelor of science before going on to complete a Bachelor of Science in pharmacy at Boston's Northeastern University.{{cite web|url=http://www.therecord.com/news-story/5963467-raj-saini/ |title=Raj Saini |website=Therecord.com |date=2015-10-16 |access-date=2016-11-30}}

Prior to becoming a Member of Parliament, Saini was a pharmacist, having moved to Kitchener to start Greenbrook Pharmacy, a local independent business which he has co-owned and operated for more than 20 years.{{cite web|url=http://www.exchangemagazine.com/morningpost/2014/week35/Wednesday/14090304.htm |title=Daily Exchange - Posting |website=Exchangemagazine.com |date=2014-09-03 |access-date=2016-11-30}} Prior to becoming an elected official, Saini had long been involved in both his community and the Liberal Party. He is a past president and past vice-president of the Kitchener Centre Federal Liberal Association, a Rotarian, and has served as a member of the Canadian International Council, Waterloo.

Saini was first elected to Parliament in the 2015 federal election.{{cite web|url=http://kitchener.ctvnews.ca/saini-unseats-woodworth-in-bellwether-of-kitchener-centre-1.2617735 |title=Saini unseats Woodworth in bellwether of Kitchener Centre | CTV Kitchener News |website=Kitchener.ctvnews.ca |date=19 October 2015 |access-date=2016-11-30}} He said that one of his top priorities for his time in Ottawa would be addressing Canada's need for a national pharmacare policy. He was a member of two parliamentary committees, the Foreign Affairs and International Development Committee, as well as the Access to Information, Privacy, and Ethics Committee.{{cite web|url=http://www.parl.gc.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/Raj-Saini(88807)/CurrentRoles |title=Raj Saini |website=Parl.gc.ca |access-date=2016-11-30}} Reflecting an interest in Foreign Affairs, Saini was a member of multiple Parliamentary Associations and Parliamentary Friendship Groups, including the Canada-Europe Parliamentary Association, the Canada-Israel Interparliamentary Group, the Canada-United States Inter-Parliamentary Group, the Canadian Branch of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA), the Canadian Delegation to the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe Parliamentary Assembly (OSCE PA), and the Canadian NATO Parliamentary Association (NATO PA). He was also an executive member of the Canada-Germany Interparliamentary Group.

Saini spoke in the House of Commons on topics including the International Day for Tolerance, Public Safety Canada, the National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians, and Canada's efforts to combat ISIL.{{cite web|url=https://openparliament.ca/search/?q=MP+raj-sainiType:debate&sort=date+desc&page=1 |title=Search: MP raj-sainiType:debate |website=Openparliament.ca |date=2016-11-25 |access-date=2016-11-30}}

In 2021, allegations emerged that Saini engaged in inappropriate behaviour including unwanted sexual advances towards female staffers on four occasions.{{cite news |last1=Burke |first1=Ashley |title=Liberal candidate allowed to run for re-election despite past claims of inappropriate behaviour |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/liberal-candidate-allegations-inappropriate-behaviour-female-staffers-1.6157917 |access-date=31 August 2021 |work=CBC News |date=31 August 2021}} On September 4, Saini announced he was ending his campaign for re-election, denying any wrongdoing.{{cite tweet |author=Rajsaini4kitcen |user=RajSainiKitCen |number=1434232597291446273 |date=2021-09-04 |title=Please read my statement below. https://t.co/spJ6dtsXSA |language=en |access-date=2021-10-01}} Saini did not withdraw his candidacy prior to the close of nominations and his name remained on the ballot as the Liberal candidate for the September 20 vote.{{cite news |title=Raj Saini's name stays on the Kitchener-Centre ballot after scandal ends his bid for re-election |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/kitchener-waterloo/saini-canada-votes-2021-waterloo-region-votes-2021-1.6168072 |access-date=12 September 2021 |work=CBC News |date=9 September 2021}}

Regarding the alleged incidents, Saini had been cleared of wrongdoing by a workplace assessment independently commissioned by the House of Commons in the spring of 2020. The workplace assessment concluded that the staffer making the allegations was "creating a toxic environment and many staff and the MP report strained relationships with her" and recommended that "the employment relationship may need to be reconsidered ... in order to ensure a safe and healthy work environment for the remainder of the staff."{{cite news |title=Unfinished business — how a 'toxic environment' sank former Kitchener Centre MP Raj Saini's campaign |url=https://www.therecord.com/news/waterloo-region/2022/06/30/unfinished-business-how-a-toxic-environment-sank-former-kitchener-centre-mp-raj-sainis-campaign.html |access-date=3 July 2022 |work=Waterloo Region Record |date=30 June 2022}} The staffer who made the allegations had her employment terminated with cause in August 2020 by the House of Commons. Saini was advised to seek a restraining order against the staffer by the Office of the Law Clerk and Parliamentary Counsel, though he refused.

{{2021 Canadian federal election/Kitchener Centre}}

{{2019 Canadian federal election/Kitchener Centre}}

{{Canadian election result/top|CA|2015|percent=yes|change=yes|expenditures=yes}}

{{CANelec|CA|Liberal|Raj Saini|25,504|48.78|+16.49|$100,662.46}}

{{CANelec|CA|Conservative|Stephen Woodworth|15,872|30.36|-10.00|$126,009.07}}

{{CANelec|CA|NDP|Susan Cadell|8,680|16.60|-5.32|$58,064.50}}

{{CANelec|CA|Green|Nicholas Wendler|1,597|3.05|-1.52|$1,292.98}}

{{CANelec|CA|Libertarian|Slavko Miladinovic|515|0.99|–|–}}

{{CANelec|CA|Marxist-Leninist|Julian Ichim|112|0.21|–|–}}

{{Canadian election result/total|Total valid votes/Expense limit|52,280|100.00| |$209,331.18}}

{{Canadian election result/total|Total rejected ballots|292|0.56|–}}

{{Canadian election result/total|Turnout|52,572|68.46|}}

{{Canadian election result/total|Eligible voters|76,797}}

{{CANelec/gain|CA|Liberal|Conservative|+13.25}}

{{CANelec/source|Source: Elections Canada{{cite web|url=http://www.elections.ca/Scripts/vis/candidates?L=e&ED=35045&EV=41&EV_TYPE=1&PC=&PROV=ON&PROVID=35&MAPID=&QID=8&PAGEID=17&TPAGEID=&PD=&STAT_CODE_ID=-1 |title=Voter Information Service - Find your electoral district |website=Elections.ca |access-date=2016-11-30}}[http://www.elections.ca/content2.aspx?section=can&dir=cand/canlim&document=index&lang=e] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150815061116/http://www.elections.ca/content2.aspx?section=can&dir=cand%2Fcanlim&document=index&lang=e |date=2015-08-15 }}}}

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Category:Living people

Category:Members of the House of Commons of Canada from Ontario

Category:Liberal Party of Canada MPs

Category:University of Toronto alumni

Category:Northeastern University alumni

Category:Businesspeople from Kitchener, Ontario

Category:Canadian pharmacists

Category:Politicians from Kitchener, Ontario

Category:Canadian people of Punjabi descent

Category:Canadian people of Indian descent

Category:21st-century members of the House of Commons of Canada

Category:1967 births