Prime Minister Scott Morrison to call May 18 election

Scott Morrison is visiting the Governor-General this morning before announcing Australians will go to the polls on May 18. The Prime Minister last night made a dash from Melbourne to the nation’s capital, where he will visit Sir Peter Cosgrove at Yarralumla.

Scott Morrison is visiting the Governor-General this morning before announcing Australians will go to the polls on May 18.

The Prime Minister made a late-night dash from Melbourne to the nation’s capital last night, where he will visit Sir Peter Cosgrove at Yarralumla.

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The Prime Minister Scott Morrison arrived at Government House to speak to the Governor General about calling the election. Picture: Gary Ramage

The election date is expected to be May 18. Picture: Gary Ramage

Media crews have already assembled outside The Lodge — the PM’s official residence — in anticipation of an early-morning trip.

The Prime Minister effectively launched his campaign on social media on Wednesday night with a video featuring his family, followed by an email to Liberal Party supporters.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison will call the election on Thursday. Picture: Chris Kidd

Pulling the trigger on a 38-day campaign, Mr Morrison will attempt to make the most of a post-Budget bump in the opinion polls as he attempts a come-from-behind victory.

Mr Morrison — who came to office in August last year following the ousting of Malcolm Turnbull — said he was proud of how far the country has come over in the past six years but acknowledged there was more work to be done.

“The decisions we take now will shape our future over the next decade,” Mr Morrison said.

“My vision for Australia is about everyone having the chance to realise their full potential. This means giving you and your family better choices, more opportunities and a higher standard of living.“

The Coalition effectively starts behind, despite Malcolm Turnbull’s one-seat 2016 election win.

An electoral redistrib­ution has put Labor notionally ahead in two newly created seats and two Liberal-held seats in Victoria have ­become notionally Labor.

The Liberal Party lost Mr Turnbull’s seat of Wentworth at a by-election last October to independent Kerryn Phelps.

Victoria is looming as a key battle ground, with Labor eyeing off up to seven seats which would change government in the state alone.

Labor leader Bill Shorten, who has been campaigning since delivering his Budget reply speech last Thursday, today called on Mr Morrison to stop dragging his heels on naming a date.

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“It’s no skin off my nose if you drag it on and on, the people of Australia deserve better from their Government, stop wasting the advertising, let’s just call the election,” Mr Shorten said.

“You could drive to Yarralumla, you do it tomorrow, maybe you do it Sunday, maybe that makes you feel very on top of everything, but the reality is there will be an election, let’s get on with it.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s plane landing in Canberra on Wednesday night.

He said the Australian people wanted to make a choice following six years of instability and three Prime Ministers.

“Enough is enough, times up, let’s have an election,” he said.

The five-week campaign will be interrupted by Easter and Anzac Day, which has played havoc with the government’s planning.

But visiting Yarralumla today will ensure the close of nomination for candidates does not fall on a public holiday.

The Opposition kickstarts its campaign under fierce attacks from the government over its plans to fast-track electric vehicles an impose fuel efficiency standards on petrol cars.

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Victoria’s police force would be forced to spend $10 million upgrading its car fleet under Bill Shorten’s plan to slash car emissions, according to government analysis ­released this week.

Labor has accused the ­Coalition of the “dumbest and loopiest scare campaign in Australian political history” over its attack.

Energy Minister Angus Taylor yesterday sharpened attacks on Mr Shorten, claiming motorists would pay $5000 more on average for petrol cars and Victoria Police would have a multi-million bill to upgrade its fleet.

But the Coalition Government is now distancing itself from its own report which shows motorists would actually save $500 plus in fuel costs a year from Labor’s policy.

The study, completed three years ago by the Department of Infrastructure, said the savings in petrol and diesel would outweigh the upfront cost in more expensive vehicles.