Australia goes to the polls on May 21

Australia will go to the polls for parliamentary elections on May 21. Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced the election date in the capital Canberra on Sunday.

Morrison’s Conservative government is trailing opposition Labor polls despite a resurgent economy and an unemployment rate of four percent, its lowest in 13 years. “This election is about you. No one else. It’s about our country and its future,” said the prime minister. “I know that Australians have been through a very difficult time. I also know that Australia will continue to face very difficult challenges in the coming years,” Morrison told a news conference.

Recently, there has been a lot of criticism of the prime minister who has held sway since 2018. Under his leadership, the country opted for strict lockdowns to curb the spread of the coronavirus, which has left populations locked up in cities such as Melbourne and Sydney for weeks. That led to many demonstrations. His climate approach and the way in which his government responded to floods this year also received criticism.