SYDNEY — Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Friday (March 28) called a national election for May 3, launching a five-week campaign that is set to be dominated by cost-of-living pressures.

Albanese's Labour party won a majority at the last federal election in 2022, but most recent opinion polls show the party neck-and-neck with the opposition Liberal-National coalition when votes from smaller parties are redistributed.

"Our government has chosen to face global challenges the Australian way — helping people under cost-of-living pressure, while building for the future," he told a press conference. "Because of the strength and resilience that our people have shown, Australia is turning the corner. Now on May 3, you choose the way forward."

Albanese earlier in the morning met the country's Governor-General Sam Mostyn to seek permission to call a nationwide federal election.

Under Australia's constitution the prime minister must formally seek permission to call an election from the governor-general, who represents the head of state, Britain's King Charles.

Three-year term limits mean Australia must go to the polls by May 17 at the latest to elect a new parliament.

Tight campaign

Albanese has announced a slew of measures aimed at pleasing families and businesses in recent months, including tax cuts in Tuesday's budget, with the rising cost of living in the country set to dominate the campaign.

On Friday, Albanese focused his campaign attack on the opposition Liberal and National coalition, saying it would axe government programmes and revoke the new tax cuts passed by parliament this week.

A close-run election could mean no single party or coalition of parties will be able to form a government on its own, instead relying on smaller parties to command a majority in the country's lower house.

Albanese, a long-time Labour lawmaker who grew up in government housing, came to power on a wave of personal popularity, but has suffered from the rising cost of living and a steep rise in interest rates during his tenure.

Falling inflation and the decision by Australia's central bank to cut interest rates for the first time in five years at its February meeting have done little to help Albanese's polling numbers.

After enjoying a healthy lead for much of his term, his personal approval ratings are now close to those of Liberal leader Peter Dutton, a former police officer and the defence minister in the last Liberal-National government.

Dutton has campaigned on a housing crisis that he says is putting home ownership out of reach, and in a speech on Thursday evening he linked the issue to high immigration. He plans to adopt nuclear power in the country, in opposition to Labour's transition to renewable energy, which Dutton says has increased electricity prices for households and small business.

Both leaders have promised an extra A$8.5 billion (S$7.2 billion) over four years to shore up the country's public healthcare system.

Recounting how his invalid pensioner mother was treated in the same public hospital as an Australian billionaire, Albanese on Friday revised a scare campaign that dominated the 2016 election, suggesting the Liberal and National coalition would cut the national healthcare scheme Medicare. Dutton has said he will match Labour's plan to boost Medicare funding for doctors' visits.

Another issue in the campaign will be which leader would best handle relations with US President Donald Trump, who imposed steel and aluminium tariffs that affect Australian exports. Trump is expected to announce a further round of tariffs on trade partners next week.

Albanese said his government had been "engaging on a daily basis" with the Trump administration over tariffs, and pointed to his two phone calls with the US president and early meetings between the two countries' defence and foreign ministers.

Without naming Trump, Albanese sought to cast Dutton as adopting Trump-like policies, such as cutting public servant jobs.

"There are a range of ideas borrowed from others — we need the Australian way," Albanese said in his press conference.

Source: Reuters