Both major parties are under pressure with polls predicting minority government is the most likely outcome of Australia’s federal election

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Put away the tarot cards, dump the tea leaves in the compost bin, cover up the crystal ball and stop searching for the smoke signals – the prime minister has finally named the date, putting an end to months of election speculation and starting the countdown to polling day.

After drawing a big red texta circle around 3 May on his calendar at The Lodge, and dumping an extra large handful of kibble into Toto’s bowl as he rushed out the door, Anthony Albanese kicked off the election proper with a promise to “make you better off over the next three years.”