Millions of Australians will head to the polls on 21 May after Scott Morrison officially called the federal election.
Speaking outside Parliament House on Sunday to kick off the six-week campaign, the prime minister said he knew Australians were facing tough challenges and were "tired of politics" as they head to the polls.
"I love this country. I love Australians. I know Australians have been through a very tough time. I also know that Australia continues to face very tough challenges in the years ahead. More than ever, I know that we live in the best country in the world and more that than ever I am optimistic about our future and what I know Australians can achieve," he said.
"There's still a lot of uncertainty ahead. I get it. I get that it people are tired of politics as we go into this election."
Mr Morrison used his campaign launch speech to highlight his government's "responsible financial management", its successes in steering Australia through the COVID-19 pandemic, and its promises around tax relief, infrastructure investment and defence spending.
"By working together, we avoided the nightmare scenarios that so many countries faced in recent years. Unemployment was predicted to reach 15 per cent, but now is at just 4 per cent and falling - the equal lowest level in some 48 years. Our economic recovery measures, especially JobKeeper, saved some 700,000 jobs and our health response, working together, has saved compared to other countries tens of thousands of lives.
"On almost any measure - on fatality rates from COVID, vaccine rates, economic growth, jobs’ growth, or debt levels - Australia’s recovery is leading the world."
Focusing squarely on the economy, he labelled the election as "a choice between an economic recovery that is leading the world and a Labor Opposition that would weaken it".
Mr Morrison also said that while his government hadn't got everything right, it was "up-front".
"It's a choice between a government you know and a Labor Opposition that you don't. Our government is not perfect - we've never claimed to be, but we are up-front and you may see some flaws but you can also see what we have achieved for Australia in incredibly difficult times."
Mr Morrison confirmed there would be no change to his ministerial line-up if he won another term, and said he would announce who would replace Greg Hunt as health minister "over the course of the next week or so".
Asked specifically about Education Minister Alan Tudge, he says: “Alan Tudge is still in my cabinet”.
The prime minister flew from Sydney to Canberra on Sunday morning to visit Governor-General David Hurley and receive authorisation for parliament to be dissolved and for the election to be ordered.
The election will be for all 151 electorates of the lower house and 40 seats in the Senate.
The coalition starts the race with 76 seats, while Labor holds 68, the Green hold one and Independent MPs hold three.
Forty seats in the upper house are in contention in a half-Senate election.
How the 151 seats of the lower house are divided ahead of the 2022 federal election. Source: SBS News
Mr Morrison is aiming to become the first incumbent prime minister to win two elections in a row since John Howard in 2004.
Anthony Albanese, who has headed the Opposition since the resignation of Bill Shorten after his 2019 loss, is hoping to steer Labor to power and become Australia's 31st prime minister for the nation's 47th parliament.
The Labor leader is expected to address a press conference this afternoon.
Labor has been ahead in the polls consistently since June 2021, currently sitting on a two-party preferred vote of 55 per cent.
The federal election will take place on 21 May. Source: SBS News
And Sunday's election call follows a disastrous week for the prime minister in which he's been accused of racial vilification, bullying, autocratic behaviour, politicising flood funding and .
The government says Labor leader Anthony Albanese lacks the experience to run the country and has so far been playing a small-target pre-election campaign.
"Anthony Albanese has been curled up in a ball not wanting people to know who he was," government frontbencher Peter Dutton told the Nine Network.
"Having been in parliament for 20 years and watched governments of both persuasions, I don't believe the Labor government could have guided us through the last three years in which the coalition has."
Labor's Jason Clare says voters are sick of the "lies and incompetence" of a government that has been in power almost a decade.
"This is an old government. If they win this election they will have been in power for longer than (former Liberal prime minister) John Howard," Mr Clare said.
Mr Morrison on Saturday released a video in which he pointed to the natural disasters that have hit the country, the unstable global security environment and the risks facing Australia's economy.
"You always have setbacks. You always have imperfect information. I mean, things are tough," he said in the video.
"There's drought. There's floods. There's fire. There's pandemic. There is now war. We're dealing with a war that has never been more unstable since the time of the Second World War.
"We're dealing with an economy that has many moving parts and more risks but, indeed, many, many opportunities that we have to seize."
Mr Albanese also released a video spruiking his "plan for a better future".
He pledged to work with business to invest in manufacturing, help families get ahead by offering cheaper childcare, reduce power bill, invest in fee-free TAFE and strengthen Medicare.
Both leaders are tipped to start their campaigns in regional parts of the nation where marginal seats are up for grabs or need defending.
