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,[1] where he completed a bachelor of science before going on to complete a Bachelor of Science in pharmacy at Boston's Northeastern University.[2]
Early career
Prior to becoming a Member of Parliament,Saini was a pharmacist,having moved to Kitchener to start Greenbrook Pharmacy,[1] a local independent business which he has co-owned and operated for more than 20 years.[3] 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,[2] a Rotarian,and has served as a member of the Canadian International Council,Waterloo.[3]
Political career
Saini was first elected to Parliament in the 2015 federal election.[4] He said that one of his top priorities for his time in Ottawa would be addressing Canada's need for a national pharmacare policy.[1] 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.[5] 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.[5]
In 2021,allegations emerged that Saini engaged in inappropriate behaviour including unwanted sexual advances towards female staffers on four occasions.[7] On September 4,Saini announced he was ending his campaign for re-election,denying any wrongdoing.[8] 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.[9]
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."[10] 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.[10]
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