A parliamentary hopeful running in Canada's upcoming federal election says he wants to give bitcoin an equal footing with the dollar.

Alex Millar, a former maths teacher and software engineer, claims to be an independent candidate running for Vancouver East. In a post on Straight.com yesterday, the bitcoin enthusiast said he decided to run to highlight an issue the major parties were ignoring: money creation.

"Canadians enjoy freedom of speech and freedom of religion, I’m running for for parliament because I believe we need freedom of money," he said.

The candidate, who does not currently appear in the official election almanac, thinks digital currency could be a viable alternative to Canada's current monetary system, which he claimed was "eroding equality" in its opacity.

The election – which covers Canada's 338 electoral districts – will take place on 19th October. Vancouver East, where Millar is running, has been a New Democratic stronghold since 1997.

Both Millar and the Election Almanac have been contacted for further clarification on his status as a candidate.