Raj Saini
Raj Saini MP | |
---|---|
Raj Saini at the Waterloo Region CARP Debate at CIGI | |
Member of the Canadian Parliament for Kitchener Centre | |
Assumed office October 19, 2015 | |
Preceded by | Stephen Woodworth |
Personal details | |
Born | 1967 |
Political party | Liberal |
Residence | Kitchener, Ontario |
Profession | Pharmacist |
Rajinder "Raj" Saini (born 1967) is a Canadian politician, who was elected to represent the riding of Kitchener Centre in the House of Commons of Canada in the Canadian federal election, 2015.[1]
Background
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,[2] where he completed a bachelor of science before going on to complete a bachelor of science in pharmacy at Boston's Northeastern University.[3]
Early career
Prior to becoming a Member of Parliament, Saini was a pharmacist, having moved to Kitchener to start Greenbrook Pharmacy,[2] a local independent business which he has co-owned and operated for more than 20 years.[4] 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 Center Federal Liberal Association,[3] a Rotarian, and has served as a member of the Canadian International Council, Waterloo.[4]
Political career
Saini has said that one of his top priorities for his time in Ottawa is addressing Canada’s need for a national pharmacare policy.[2] He is a member of two parliamentary committees, the Foreign Affairs and International Development Committee, as well as the Access to Information, Privacy, and Ethics Committee.[5] Reflecting an interest in Foreign Affairs, Saini is 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 is also an executive member of the Canada-Germany Interparliamentary Group.[5]
Saini has spoken in the House of Commons on a number of occasions as a Member of Parliament, speaking 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. [6]
Electoral record
Canadian federal election, 2015 | ||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ∆% | Expenditures | |||
Liberal | Raj Saini | 25,504 | 48.78 | +16.49 | $100,662.46 | |||
Conservative | Stephen Woodworth | 15,872 | 30.36 | -10.00 | $126,009.07 | |||
New Democratic | Susan Cadell | 8,680 | 16.60 | -5.32 | $58,064.50 | |||
Green | Nicholas Wendler | 1,597 | 3.05 | -1.52 | $1,292.98 | |||
Libertarian | Slavko Miladinovic | 515 | 0.99 | – | – | |||
Marxist–Leninist | Julian Ichim | 112 | 0.21 | – | – | |||
Total valid votes/Expense limit | 52,280 | 100.00 | $209,331.18 | |||||
Total rejected ballots | 292 | 0.56 | – | |||||
Turnout | 52,572 | 68.46 | ||||||
Eligible voters | 76,797 | |||||||
Liberal gain from Conservative | Swing | +13.25 | ||||||
Source: Elections Canada[7][8] |
References
- ↑ "Saini unseats Woodworth in bellwether of Kitchener Centre | CTV Kitchener News". Kitchener.ctvnews.ca. Retrieved 2016-11-30.
- 1 2 3 "Newly elected MP Raj Saini ready to 'give back' to Kitchener". Therecord.com. 2015-10-28. Retrieved 2016-11-30.
- 1 2 "Raj Saini". Therecord.com. 2015-10-16. Retrieved 2016-11-30.
- 1 2 "Daily Exchange - Posting". Exchangemagazine.com. 2014-09-03. Retrieved 2016-11-30.
- 1 2 "Raj Saini". Parl.gc.ca. Retrieved 2016-11-30.
- ↑ "Search: MP raj-sainiType:debate". Openparliament.ca. 2016-11-25. Retrieved 2016-11-30.
- ↑ "Voter Information Service - Find your electoral district". Elections.ca. Retrieved 2016-11-30.
- ↑