CANBERRA, April 10 (Bloomberg) - Australia will hold a national election on May 21, after a six-week campaign period which centre-right Prime Minister Scott Morrison hopes will bring him another come-from-behind victory.

Morrison's Liberal National coalition is currently trailing the opposition Labour Party in opinion polling, but he was in a similar position ahead of the 2019 election and narrowly won another term in office. "I have always believed in miracles," Morrison said during his victory speech then.

The Prime Minister's office confirmed the election date, which is expected to be announced by Morrison at a press conference on Sunday (April 10).

The Australian leader has attempted to frame the vote around the country's strong economic growth and national defence, while the opposition, led by Anthony Albanese, is focusing on domestic manufacturing and higher wages for workers. The Labour Party is also targeting Morrison personally over his handling of the Covid-19 pandemic.

"Our government is not perfect. But we have been upfront. You know what we stand for, you can see our record of delivery, and you can see our plan for the future," Morrison said in an opinion piece distributed by his office on Sunday.

The election date announcement comes after the government unveiled a series of spending measures last month to help soften the impact of rising living costs and bring Morrison back into contention for the polls. Morrison has been criticised over supply shortages during a recent Omicron outbreak and mismanaging the response to flooding in the nation's northeast.

In an opinion piece distributed to the media on Sunday, Labour leader Albanese said Australian voters should blame rising cost-of-living prices on the government, claiming it had failed to grow wages.

"When you cringe next time you pay your supermarket bill, remember it was the Morrison government that went out of its way to keep a lid on your pay packet," Albanese said.