"ASKHunty, " one Fianna Fail figure replied last week when questioned about a detail in the party's economic policy for the general election. The 'Hunty' in question is Colin Hunt. The Waterford-born economist has already emerged as probably the most influential figure in the FF election campaign outside Bertie Ahern and Brian Cowen. He held centre-stage last Thursday morning when Fianna Fail hosted a breakfast briefing for the media to rebut policies from Labour and Fine Gael that had not even been published. "What promises are they going to walk away from?" Hunt asked as the party tried to flog a dodgy dossier listing promises made by the two main opposition parties over the last five years. Fianna Fail wants to fight the campaign on two fronts . . . the economy and personality. They believe Ahern gives them an edge in the twoman race for Taoiseach, while the addition of Hunt has provided the party with a new strength when it comes to questions about their taxation and spending policies. Hunt returned from London not long after FF and the PDs came into office in 1997. He worked first with the Bank of Ireland Group and later as chief economist with Goodbody Stockbrokers. It's believed that he took a wage cut to work with Martin Cullen in the Department of Transport in 2004. He was centrally involved in drafting Transport 21 which brought him within the orbit of Finance minister, Brian Cowen. He took on a new role last September as Cowen's special advisor. It's debatable whether Hunt scored his first victory last week, or if the opposition, and Fine Gael in particular, scored a major own goal. The stamp duty debacle was not a good start to the campaign for Enda Kenny. A simple answer that the reform would be the first decision taken by his new government would have prevented the floundering that went on on radio and television programmes throughout Thursday. Sitting at the top table alongside the beleaguered Kenny, Pat Rabbitte had time to open a sweet paper and possibly ponder what life would be like as Minister for Finance. The only thing is, as the Frank Luntz focus group results showed on RTE last weekend, to achieve this ministerial position, Rabbitte may have to convince Bertie Ahern to eject Cowen and his economic advisor from their Merrion Street offices.

Trains, planes and electoral deals TWO transport companies are currently running advertising campaigns that might well be part of the general election campaign.

"This government liedf on transport, " a Ryanair newspaper advert proclaims with a photograph of Bertie Ahern sporting a Pinocchio-style nose. Michael O'Leary's advert could easily be confused as supporting the opposition parties, but at least Ryanair is not a state-owned company, so it's spending its own money.

More surprising is CIE's decision to approve a national billboard campaign at this time. 'New Trains. The Roll Out Begins This Autumn, ' the Iarnrod Eireann poster states, while another says 'Trains Leaving Cork To Dublin Every Hour On The Half Hour'. We looked twice but there is no tag line endorsing the current government. But there might as well be.

CANDIDATES in Dublin MidWest took to the hustings last week at Collinstown Park secondary school in Neilstown. On Tuesday, the politicians met with assigned teams of fifth and sixth year students to plan their canvass strategies.

Leaflets and lollipops were on offer over the following two days, with over 400 students casting their vote on Thursday.

If mirrored in the actual general election, the results would see defeat for Health minister Mary Harney (ABOVE) and Green TD Paul Gogarty. In the student poll, the four seats were ultimately filled by Labour Senator Joanne Tuffy, outgoing Fianna Fail TD John Curran, Joanna Spain of Sinn Fein and Jino Kenny, an independent. Kenny, however, had a significant advantage . . . he's a past pupil of the Neilstown school.

Bertie may (or may not) have a date, but he's still got no chaperone THE general election date is not the only piece of information which Bertie Ahern is tightly controlling. The Fianna Fail leader has yet to confirm his party's director of elections. It has long been assumed that PJ Mara would repeat the role he filled in 1997 and in 2002, but even senior Fianna Fail personnel are uncertain about what the plan is for the forthcoming contest. Mara has in effect been doing the job without the title in recent months as pre-election decisions have been taken. He's a member of the Cowen-led constituencies committee and has been popping up in various locations recently to ensure candidates are working away on the ground. The delay may be explained by a concern that Mara might just be too flash for a campaign that preaches prudence.