Ian McLean Spokesperson for the Green Party

Mr Rabbit, let's go on a ramble through the 100 acre wood and chat about why Russel Norman thinks printing money might be a sensible thing to do.

'Printing money” is properly called 'quantitative easing” (QE). Many countries responded to the economic crisis of 2008 by using QE. The Americans in particular dumped around $2 trillion into their economy, which survived, but at the cost of their exchange rate.

Our high exchange rate today is a consequence of QE being used by others, and is a direct contributor to the loss of 40,000 jobs from manufacturing in the last four years. The rate needs to come down and QE can achieve that.

As Owl once said to Pooh: 'When everyone is eating carrots, dreams of honey will keep you out of the money”.

You neglected to mention that QE was just one of a suite of suggested economic changes that Russel would use to rebalance our economy and create jobs.

Russel also suggests that you and your whanau build a new burrow system with the following features: multiple entry and exit points ensuring a resilient response to impending danger, in raised ground safe from flooding, and protected from above by solid slabs of rock. It will provide warm and dry sites for rabbit families to build their nests, and your waste will be recycled into the carrot gardens built nearby.

Yes you need your friends too, but they should not control your economy.

Pooh may be a bear of very little brain, but he has been heard to sing:

'It makes you feel funny,

when there isn't any hunny,

to stop the noises in your tummy,

cos the bees are queasy.

But carrits for rabbits are habits,

they protect you from the grab-its.

They don't need hunny,

or even any money,

and growing them yourself is easy.”