AUSTRALIA will go to the polls on May 18.
Announcing the date today, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said there was much at stake at this election.
"We live in the best country in the world. To secure the future road ahead depends on a strong economy," Mr Morrison said in his address to the media.
Kicking starting the campaign, Mr Morrison promised his party would maintain budget surpluses without tax increases and would deliver more funding for essential services such as hospitals, schools and aged care.
According to the Roy Morgan poll on government confidence for the fortnight of March 16-17 to 23-24, compared to a month earlier government confidence has moved into positive territory for the first time since Scott Morrison became Prime Minister last August.
Driving the increase are strong rises in government confidence among Liberal-National supporters and supporters of independents/others, people in country areas, those in Victoria, Queensland, Western Australia and Tasmania, as well as voters aged 50-64.
More than half of Liberal-National supporters (54.5 per cent) now say Australia is heading in the right direction, compared to 28 per cent (down 10 per cent) saying the country is heading in the wrong direction.
Labor supporters are also more confident about the country than a month ago; now 40 per cent of ALP supporters say Australia is heading in the right direction, while 42 per cent (down 2.5 per cent) say it is not.
There has also been an increase in Greens supporters' confidence in the government, although the rating remains well into negative territory.
Government confidence increased strongly for those aged 50-64 (up 8 per cent to 41 per cent), however 45.5 per cent of this age group still say Australia is headed in the wrong direction.
"It is vital for government confidence to be moving in the right direction and above the neutral level if the Morrison Government is to have any chance of re-election," said Roy Morgan chief executive Michele Levine.
"The final Morgan Poll prior to the 2016 federal election showed government confidence at just above neutral at 102 points. At that election the Turnbull Government lost 14 seats to win with a majority of only one seat."
Electors were asked: "Generally speaking, do you feel that things in Australia are heading in the right direction or would you say things are seriously heading in the wrong direction?"
