Australian PM sets general election date for May 21
STORY: Morrison played up economic uncertainties and security threats in announcing the election, saying this was not the time to hand the reins to an untested opposition Labor leader, Anthony Albanese.
"Only by voting for the Liberals and Nationals at this election on May 21 can you ensure a strong economy for a stronger future," Morrison told reporters in the capital Canberra.
The opposition Labor party says it would offer a "better future" for the Australian people than the conservative coalition.
Morrison's coalition, with a one-seat majority in the lower house of parliament, trails Labor in opinion polls after nine years in power. But the conservatives similarly lagged before the previous election in May 2019, when they pulled off a win.
Both Morrison and Albanese on Sunday pointed to the range of challenges Australians have faced since the last election, from fires and floods, to the COVID-19 pandemic, recession and now surging food and fuel costs.
