Live coverage as Prime Minister Scott Morrison calls the election for May 18

Live coverage as Prime Minister Scott Morrison calls a federal election

Labor says the federal election on May 18 is a choice between a fair go and "more years of cuts and chaos".

Prime Minister Scott Morrison put the economy at the centre of his pitch to voters when he called the election after an early morning visit to Governor-General Sir Peter Cosgrove today.

He said Australians need to keep him as prime minister because "now is not the time to turn back" to Labor.

Opinion polls are pointing to the Liberal-National coalition losing power to Labor after five-and-a-half years in office.

Labor leader Bill Shorten says he is prepared for the campaign ahead. 

"I'm ready for the election, I'm ready for government," he said in Melbourne.

"This election will be a choice ... about more cuts or better health care for your family."

His deputy Tanya Plibersek agreed. 

"This is a choice between a team under Bill Shorten's leadership that has been united and disciplined, an experienced team that is focused on making life better for working Australians," she told reporters in Melbourne.

"Or, under Scott Morrison's leadership, a team that is riven by chaos, confusion, dysfunction and division."

But Mr Morrison said there was much at stake at the election and only the coalition could deliver a strong economy.

"It's taken us more than five years to turn around Labor's budget mess," Mr Morrison said.

"Now is not the time to turn back. Keeping our economy strong is how we secure your future and your family's future."

Meanwhile, Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack will focus on lower taxes, regional infrastructure and border protection to win over country voters.

It is understood water infrastructure including dams will also form a key plank of the Nationals' agenda..

The Greens are casting the poll as the "climate change election" and say they offer a genuine alternative.

"The Liberal and Labor parties won’t take the action we need on the climate because they are too compromised by the millions of dollars they take from their big donors in the coal, oil and gas lobby," Greens leader Richard Di Natale said.