With a visit to the Governor-General the election campaign has started.
It has been the most unusual pre-election period that I can remember.
Malcolm Turnbull became prime minister last year after overthrowing Tony Abbott as Liberal leader but then did not release any major new policies until budget week.
Between September 2015 and May 2016 voters have been waiting to hear what the new government stands for and what policies they will implement.
At the budget they revealed modest tax cuts for middle income earners, reductions in company tax and a crackdown on top end superannuation.
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For voters, now that the election date has been set and the campaign underway, they will have eight weeks to examine and digest the strengths and weaknesses of the major parties and to make their decision about election 2016.
The choice: should Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and the Liberal-National Party Coalition be returned or is Opposition Leader Bill Shorten’s Labor Party offering a new and credible direction?
Labor promises spending on schools and hospitals. It supports only company tax cuts for small business and emphasises that the plan to reduce superannuation tax breaks for the wealthy came first from the Labor Party.
On the face of it the government, despite it’s obvious problems, should be considered the favourite come election day.
It is difficult for Labor to win the campaign because in the post World War II era, no first term Australian government has been kicked out of office.
Further, when there has been a change of government there is usually a dramatic overall national swing and a strong feeling across the country that a change is required.
In essence, Australians have usually waited until they were completely sick to death of a government before voting it out.
In recent elections this has been the case.
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In 2013 then-Labor prime minster Kevin Rudd was removed in a landslide.
In 2007 the electorate believed that then-Liberal Party prime minister John Howard’s time was up.
He was defeated in a landslide and lost his seat of Bennelong in the process.
In 1996 when Labor PM Paul Keating was removed voters were angry and let the Labor Party know it.
Since Malcolm Turnbull overthrew Liberal leader Tony Abbott and grabbed the prime ministership his public approval ratings rose but then flattened.
On a two party preferred basis published opinion polls show the two parties are now very close.
Voters seem unsure about the Turnbull leadership, but is the feeling strong enough to provide the uniform national swing of more than four per cent that would be needed to unseat him?
The answer isn’t clear at this point. But the early evidence is while the Coalition may lose seats they will stumble back into office.
From the government’s point of view it will be hoping it can provide a credible narrative on economic issues that will see the majority of Australians support the Liberal and National parties in this election.
They will be promoting the ‘jobs and growth’ agenda revealed at the budget.
Labor on the other hand has been building a credible campaign over the last 18 months and have policies out there already under discussion.
On budget night leader Bill Shorten went further in painting Labor as the party to support basic services and struggling Australians.
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and Leader of the Opposition Bill Shorten during the reopening of Parliament Source: AAP
The key marginal seats for the government are mostly the ones it picked up from Labor in 2013.
In New South Wales that includes the seats of Banks, Barton, Dobell, Lindsay, Reid, Robertson and Eden Monaro - all won from Labor last time.
The seat of Paterson has had an unfavourable redistribution and is now a notionally Labor seat.
In Queensland Capricornia and Petrie are two of the most marginal seats.
They were won by the Liberal National party from Labor in 2013. Add to the mix in Queensland this time the inner LNP seatsof Brisbane that is losing long time sitting MP Teresa Gambaro.
In Victoria, Corangamite, Deakin and La Trobe were Labor losses and Liberal Party wins last time. All are vulnerable.
South Australia has been under pressure because of massive job losses in manufacturing in recent years.
The recent submarine decision has helped the government, but the seats to watch remain Hindmarsh (won by Liberal Matt Williams at the last election) as well as Christopher Pyne’s seat of Stuart.
South Australia, the home of Independent Nick Xenophon, will also see his new Nick Xenophon Team (NXT) fielding candidates in the Senate and lower house.
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XNT candidates will also stand in lower house seats in other states.
In Western Australia three sitting Labor members are stepping down: Gary Grey in Brand, Melissa Park in Fremantle and Alannah MacTiernan in Perth.
However the state Liberal Party government is unpopular and this could impact on the federal poll.
Redistributions have made the Liberal Party seat of Cowan held by Luke Simpkins more difficult to hold and a new notionally Labor seat of Burt has been created.
Political analyst William Bowe has told SBS News the government will find it tougher than normal in Western Australia.
"I think the Liberal Party is going to have a really difficult time defending at least one of those seats that they’ve been winning for the last few elections, which have normally been very marginal seats," he said.
Tasmania will be a key battle ground for this election campaign.
The seats of Bass (held by Andrew Nikolic), Braddon (held by Brett Whiteley) and Lyons (held by Eric Hutchinson) were all won by Liberal MPs in 2013 but will be difficult to hold.
Also watch the Senate race in Tasmania where Jacqui Lambie will be running again.
In the Northern Territory, the seat of Solomon, held by the Country Liberal Party's Natasha Griggs on a slim margin of 1.5 per cent is one of the country’s most vulnerable.
There are no marginal seats in the ACT where both seats are held by the ALP.
