The official Libertarian candidate for the upcoming federal election in the riding of Lakeland has no illusions about his chances.

Allen Kenneth Paley was born and raised in the Lakeland area. Born in Pierceland, Saskatchewan, Paley lived outside Bonnyville for most of his early life, later going to school in Red Deer until Grade 10, when he came back to Elk Point and finished his high school career. With the exception of a year spent in Vancouver, Paley has been living and working in the Lakeland area ever since. He now works with SAGD technology in the oil patch.

Paleys political awareness became a part of his life after the death of his father in Bonnyville. After his passing, Paley inherited his fathers guns, and began to read up on the legal framework regarding firearms in Canada. He soon grew frustrated with rules that he saw as draconian, and became a supporter of the Conservative Party. However, he later distanced himself from the party in 2013.

As time went on, I discovered they were perhaps not all that they presented themselves to be, said Paley. It seemed to me that they were merely giving lip service to the firearms community. Once I took off those rose coloured glasses, it became clear to me that it wasnt the right fit for me.

Fresh off the dissatisfaction of the Conservative Party, Paley found an online community of podcasts and Internet radio that proposed ideas that sounded more appealing than what he had been hearing. Paley read up on the Libertarian movement, and agreed with the idea of a more limited government.

Some of the hardliners will say that taxation is theft, and there are arguments to support that, said Paley. However were not trying to seize the levers of government to abolish it on our first day. We are stepping into the arena to make improvements to things.

Paley is now getting ready to submit papers and enter the political arena. It will be his first time running for office, and he said that he hopes to find support within the Lakeland riding. A clear policy platform is not yet down on paper, but privacy is one thing Paley plans to focus on, with the controversial Bill-C51 making its way through Ottawa.

Were opposed to the C-51 bill, said Paley. We can look back a decade, and our neighbour to the south rolled out this kind of policy, and look where its gotten them.

Tax reform is also a key talking point for Paley, with the proposal of a 15 per cent flat tax across the country replacing the current tax system, and the raising of the personal tax exemption to $17,000 from $12,000, and the ending of corporate welfare.

As for the success of the party in Lakeland, Paley said that he has no illusions about what will happen in the election.

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Libertarian candidate hopeful for 2015