However, when I vote I want to know what each candidate stands for so I can decide if they meet my expectations.

My decision is aided when the person declares they are a member of a political party or supports a particular view.

I generally find that those who rail against politics in local government support conservative views.

Thus, thumbs up for candidates who declare their political leanings.

Mr Kjeldsen also wants first-past-the-post voting. The great strength of Australian elections is proportional voting. It is tedious and takes time to get the result but it ensures that those elected represent the views of the majority of the electorate.

With first-past-the-post and many candidates, the "winner" can get in with say 30 per cent while the votes of the other 70 per cent were split over other candidates with similar views.

With proportional voting, electors get second, third and so on choices so you may find that although your first choice is not elected, your second or third choice may be.

I watched the progress of vote distribution in the last council election and was gratified that the elected councillors did represent the views of the majority of citizens.

Democracy depends on people feeling that they are represented.

Your correspondent Paul Bosman provides a gentle put-down to an earlier letter from Bella Burgemeister who had expressed concern about climate change ("Major populations hold key", The Daily Advertiser, July 19).

Unfortunately the comforting reassurance that climate is nothing to worry about doesn't match the reality.

Mr Bosman says that while Australia has around 0.31 per cent of the world's population, our CO2 emissions are only "an infinitesimal fraction" of the world's emissions.

When you take into account the emissions from our exports (which don't count as our emissions) we contribute about 3.6 per cent of the world total.

When coupled with our own emissions of 1.4 per cent of the global total we contribute about 5 per cent of the world's emissions, on a par with Russia.

As a per capita measure Australia's carbon footprint, including exports, surpasses China by a factor of nine, the US by a factor of four and India by a factor of 37.

Far from being insignificant, Australia is a large part of the problem.

Bella Burgemeister is right to be concerned.

READ MORE LETTERS:

What is happening with the Biloela family? A month has passed with no news, except Michael lost his deputy job.

Please keep Priya, Nades, Tharnicaa and Kopika Murugappan in the public domain so as to niggle on the conscience of our head servants Scotty and Barnaby, and the man with the pen Alex Hawke.

Just let them stay. Think about what we have put them through.

HAVE YOUR SAY: Do you have something to get off your chest? Simply click here to send a letter to the editor.