Former Calgary MP Rob Anders — a long-time crusader for lower taxes who helped found the Conservative Party of Canada — has been charged amid allegations of tax evasion during the time he held his seat, federal prosecutors have confirmed to CBC News. Anders faces five charges laid earlier in September under the Income Tax Act with offences alleged between 2012 and 2018, as first reported by the National Post on Tuesday. The former Calgary West MP held his seat from 1997 to 2015, first for the Reform Party and then for the Conservative Party. Anders, a staunch conservative, supported initiatives from the Harper government to offer various tax breaks to Canadians. Upon leaving office as an MP, Anders was set to collect a pension of nearly $100,000, according to a Canadian Tax Payers Federation estimate.

Source: CBC News September 29, 2020 14:28 UTC