Melbourne/Sydney - Australia's prime minister has called for a May 21 election that will be fought on issues including Chinese economic coercion, climate change, the COVID-19 pandemic, cost-of-living pressures, questions of trust and competence of the major parties. Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Sunday advised Governor-General David Hurley as representative of Australia's head of state, Queen Elizabeth II, to set the election date.

Morrison played up economic uncertainties and security threats in announcing the election, saying this was not the time to hand the reins to an untested opposition Labor leader, Anthony Albanese.

"Only by voting for the Liberals and Nationals at this election on May 21 can you ensure a strong economy for a stronger future," Morrison told reporters in the capital Canberra. The opposition Labor party says it would offer a "better future" for the Australian people than the conservative coalition.

Morrison's coalition, with a one-seat majority in the lower house of parliament, trails Labor in opinion polls after nine years in power. But the conservatives similarly lagged before the previous election in May 2019, when they pulled off a win.

Both Morrison and Albanese on Sunday pointed to the range of challenges Australians have faced since the last election, from fires and floods to the COVID-19 pandemic, recession and now surging food and fuel costs.

Morrison said his government had saved thousands of lives with its tough COVID-19 curbs and spurred a rapid pandemic recovery to bring unemployment down to 4%. "Now is not the time to risk that," Morrison said, adding that Labor would weaken the economy with higher taxes and deficits.

In reply, Albanese said the government had no vision for the country.

Mr Morrison is the first leader to serve a full term in office since John Howard, who won four elections before losing to Labor's Kevin Rudd in 2007.

Since then, what observers call the "coup culture" of Australian politics has led to a series of short-lived premierships.

Mr Morrison's Liberal-led coalition is defending a one-seat majority. Even though it has won seven of the past nine federal elections, it may be hard-pressed to do so again, say political analysts.