I don't always read Pamela Hansen's contributions in The Sunday Times. This is nothing personal; I very rarely read any of the columns which deal on personal minor mishaps which are best left for the grocer's doorstep.

But her heading on September 12 - "Animals and an upbeat PM" - caught my attention. Ms Hansen took Alfred Sant to task because, in her opinion, by writing on animal rights, he "lost the opportunity to give The Times readers something to chew on".

Ms Hansen writes that "most of what politicians do, they do to garner votes. And so far, animals don't vote." Well, Ms Hansen, neither do children, but she wouldn't suggest politicians ignore issues concerning children, would she?

After all, children don't vote. Sometimes people do act out of altruism and out of concern for the "underdog". And it is such disinterested concerns that the so-called "swinging" voter looks for before casting his/her vote.

Ms Hansen then writes "Maybe he (Dr Sant) and Arnold Cassola are working on a master plan. The latter was photographed with a rabbit the other day, though, fortunately, not popping out of a hat".

I suppose Ms Hansen finds this amusing, but I and several others do not find the rubbing of chemicals on the eyes of millions of sentient rabbits amusing at all. What Ms Hansen conveniently fails to mention is that Cassola was campaigning for more EU funding for alternatives to animal testing.

Welcome to Europe, Ms Hansen. To thousands of EU citizens, these things matter.

Ms Hansen, then, referring to the prime minister, concludes by saying that "at least he laid off the animals". Very interesting indeed! Unless the prime minister proves her wrong, I'll keep that in mind in the next general elections. So will everyone who cares about animal rights.