Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has called a snap federal election - just days after Canada's PM did the same.
Labor leader Albanese, in a news conference on Friday morning local time, told Australians that "over the last few years, the world has thrown a lot" at the country.
"In uncertain times, we cannot decide the challenges that we will face, but we can determine how we respond," he added.
Laying out his pitch to Australian voters, Albanese said he was "born ready" to face the challenges ahead - but his party faces a steep battle to retain its wafer-thin parliamentary majority.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has called a snap federal election
REUTERS
"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.
"Your vote has never been more important, and your choice has never been more clear.
"This election is a choice between Labor's plan to keep building or [Liberal leader] Peter Dutton's promise to cut. That is the choice."
Albanese's snap election call comes mere hours after Dutton delivered his Budget reply speech to the Australian Parliament - in which he vowed to sack all 41,000 civil servants hired under the PM.
Albanese's snap election call comes mere hours after Peter Dutton delivered his Budget reply speech to the Australian Parliament
GETTY
But pollsters have warned that neither Albanese nor Dutton may be able to manage an absolute majority - and Australia could be heading for a coalition Government as a result.
But he slapped down concerns on Friday, telling reporters: "I intend to lead a majority Government."
If Albanese loses, it would leave New Zealand's Christopher Luxon as the longest-serving current Prime Minister in "Canzuk" - Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the UK - the four large English-speaking countries ruled by King Charles III, despite having only held his role since 2023.
Of the four current PMs - Mark Carney, Albanese, Luxon and Sir Keir Starmer - only Albanese has served under Queen Elizabeth II.
Pressed after his announcement on whether global trends were working against him, Albanese claimed that "landing where we have is like landing a 747 on a helicopter pad, getting inflation down to 2.4 per cent from the 6 per cent we inherited."