We were surprised but encouraged to learn a small group of New Brunswickers have founded a local branch of the Libertarian party – committed to ideas such as free markets, smaller government and personal liberty.

That’s not to say we endorse the Libertarians for office. Indeed, there is little likelihood, at this stage of the game, the new party will come close to earning any seats in the provincial legislature in this fall’s election.

Still, theirs is a point of view that’s a welcome addition to a healthy mix of public policy perspectives.

Too often, the sheer size of government and the depth of its involvement in the economy is taken for granted – even from political voices that are nominally committed to advancing the cause of the people, not the state.

We’re under no illusion government is about to take a gigantic retreat – especially with a federal regime that actively pushes the provinces toward more tax-funded projects. But it’s worth more asking ourselves, constantly, whether we ought to be so reliant on government spending and other policy initiatives to solve problems.

It’s also a necessary balance on the political right. Under Blaine Higgs, the Progressive Conservatives have become more socially conservative. That’s a legitimate point of view, but not one all right-of-centre voters are eager to support.

The Libertarians are by no means right about everything. But they have a coherent worldview that deserves a voice in our debates. Let’s hope they rise to the challenge.

There’s a newly registered political party in New Brunswick.

The Libertarian Party of New Brunswick has been formally registered by the province’s chief electoral officer.

That makes six officially registered parties – joining the Progressive Conservatives, Liberals, Greens, NDP, and People’s Alliance – ahead of the looming provincial election.

The Libertarian party’s federal wing has had some presence in the province in recent years.

It ran a candidate in Fredericton in each of the last two federal elections, with Brandon Kirby most recently finishing sixth in the 2021 runoff with 234 votes.

A few years ago, it also contemplated merging into Maxime Bernier’s People’s Party of Canada.

But the party has been without a provincial wing, until now.

“There’s never been a New Brunswick Libertarian party,” new party leader Keith Tays, a 40-year-old construction worker from St. George said in an interview. “We believe that the government should have a minimal role in people’s lives, that includes your business, your property, your body.

“We believe in free markets and we believe that every individual is equal and should be seen as equal under the law.”

Tays said he has no political background, but became a Libertarian after following Texas congressman Ron Paul’s 2008 bid for the Republican party’s nomination for president of the United States.

Paul’s bid garnered grassroots support, particularly through a YouTube channel, specifically for his libertarian views, namely that the proper role of government is to provide national defence, a court system, a criminal justice system, and little else.

“I never really heard anyone talk like him,” Tays said. “That got me involved in small-L libertarianism.”

He said that saw him gravitate to like-minded people from across New Brunswick who found that the government “was way too bloated for what they do.”

That has since resulted in a founding committee of roughly 20 people forming a provincial party, Tays added.

“We get about five or six new members a day,” Tays said, stating roughly 200 people follow the party through its social media channels.

To register a new political party in New Brunswick, you must create what are known as “district associations” in at least 10 electoral districts. It’s largely a paper exercise with no requirements other than declaring that associations are in place to accept donations.

You must also select a leader and then submit a formal application.

“Running 49 candidates is our goal,” Tays said, which would put the new party on every ballot in the province. “Obviously, we can’t campaign hard on all those candidates, but we have support, small support, right across the province.

“Our main goal is to just spread the message of libertarianism.”

As part of the broader Libertarian movement, the party’s provincial website says it’s “dedicated to expanding individual freedom to its furthest limits.”

It states its “core beliefs revolve around significantly reducing the size and intrusiveness of government, cutting and eliminating taxes at every opportunity, and allowing peaceful, honest people to offer their goods and services without inappropriate interference from the government.”