Anthony Albanese will lead the Labor party into the election. Photo: AFP / Gaye Gerard
The Australian Prime Minister has confirmed the country will go to the polls in May.
Anthony Albanese says he has asked the Governor General to dissolve Parliament ahead of an election on 3 May.
He's using the speech to launch straight into an election campaign, saying Australians now have the choice between Labor's continued building or the opposition's cuts.
Healthcare, energy sources and the cost of living are set to be the big election issues, and Albanese has touched on them in his announcement.
Earlier, the ABC reported [Albanese had settled on 3 May for the federal election](https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/world/556419/anthony-albanese-expected-to-call-federal-election-for-3-may) and would head to Government House on Friday to speak to the Governor-General.
The cost of living was likely to dominate the campaign, with more than two years of high inflation putting the pinch on families and businesses, and each party offering its own answers on how to respond, the report said.
_More to come..._