The vulnerability of Labour threatens the return of teh Coalition in spite of the buoyant optimism of Fine Gael.

THE LOW point of the election cammpaign was reached on Thursday, Febbruary 11. In the Shelbourne Hotel Michael O'Leary, flanked by five civil servants, unveiled the National Development Corporation to an inncredulous press which discovered that the new body would do nothing that was not already being done by other agencies and that anyway there was no money left ower once the losses of the semi-state bodies under its aegis were absorbed.

Following a press briefing in the Fine Gael headquarters in the early stages of the June '81 election campaign, John Bruton mused to a friend that if Fine Gael actually implemented its programme in Government, it and the country would be in serious trouble. Bruton was aware of the time-bomb contained in that manifesto but, in the event, he was unable to defuse it.

A leaked document from the Department of Finance reveals the extent of Haughey's misrepresentation of public finances

By Vincent Browne

The last election campaign exposed some critical inadequacies on the part of the media, which led to an unnsatisfactory campaign and a confused decision on the part of the electorate. Arguably, the . media's performance contributed to the situation in which the Coalition Government unexpecteddly found themselves in a position whereby they were unable to impleement their election promises - the issue which ultimately led to the dissoolu tion of the Dail on January 27.  By Vincent Browne

HAVING captured the title of "The Worst Journalist in the World" in 1980 and tenaciously held on to it last year, John Feeney is bidding strong for anoother merit award: "The Worst Broadd.caster in the World". He appeared in the first of The Live Mike programmes this season and delivered the worst script ever heard in the most bumbling manner ever witnessed, even on RTE. Feeney was to have appeared regularly on the programme but after this first appearance the R TE .

Arising out of the Late Late Show discussion on politicians and the state of the nation, a number of specific proposals have been made which deserve to be outlined in more detail.

Our politicians have propelled us towards economic and social calamity in the last decade. Wild irresponsible election promises and commitments, reckless public expenditure schemes, uncontrolled deficit budgeting and an unprecedented falsification of budget figures have coalesced to create the' worst serious economic crisis the State ever known. by Vincent Browne

The first problem was George Colley. He had behaved badly during the general election campaign when he made it obvious that he collld not bl;ing himself to solicit votes for a party led by Charles Haughey. Then he had indulged again in his convolutions about loyalty and in saying "he still hoped to be leader he made it clear he was hoping something untold would happen Haughey in the next two or three years- both men are 56 this. 'Ye!!:r and" fo.;r Colleytp becoml!Jieader Haughey would have to keel over or be keeled over fairly shortly.

Will the last TD to leave the Dail please switch off the light at the end of the tunnel

The country has reached the verge of national bankruptcy, primarily because of policies pursued by politicians here in the last decade. Vast borrowings have been undertaken, largely to finance current expenditure and hardly at all for wealth-creating investments. We now owe in total foreign debt a sum the equivalent of £6,000 for every income tax payer in the country.