Australians will go to the polls on May 3 after Prime Minister Anthony Albanese visited the Governor-General on Friday morning to fire the starters gun.

It will mean a five-week election campaign which will be interrupted by the Easter and Anzac Day long weekends, and the Labour Day long weekend in Queensland.

The Prime Minister telling Australians they have a clear choice this election.

“​Over ​the ​last ​few ​years, ​the ​world ​has ​thrown ​a ​lot ​at ​Australia. ​In ​uncertain ​times, ​we ​cannot ​decide ​the ​challenges ​that ​we ​will ​face,but ​we ​can ​determine ​how ​we ​respond,” the Prime Minister told reporters on Friday.

“Our ​government ​has ​chosen ​to ​face ​global ​challenges ​the ​Australian ​way. ​Helping ​people ​under ​cost ​of ​living ​pressure ​while ​building ​for ​the ​future. ​Because ​of ​the ​strength ​and ​resilience ​that ​our ​people ​have ​shown, ​Australia ​is ​turning ​the ​Corner.

“​Now, ​on ​the ​3rd ​of ​May, ​you ​choose ​the ​way ​forward.”

Mr Albanese says he is confident he will be able to form a majority government.

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He has also pledged to serve a full-term if he is re-elected.

The election is shaping as a cost-of-living battle between Labor’s tax cuts announced in the federal budget, and the Coalition’s plan to slash fuel excise for 12 months.

The Prime Minister’s trip to Yarralumla comes just hours after Opposition Leader Peter Dutton delivered his budget-in-reply speech.

Aside from this petrol promise, Mr Dutton also promised to drive down energy prices by increasing gas supplies and diverting more gas to the local market.

He says voters have a clear choice at the election.

“I will be a strong leader and a steady hand just as John Howard was, I will make the tough decisions, not shirk them,” Mr Dutton said.

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More to come

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