Federal election campaign under way

FEDERAL ELECTION CAMPAIGN: OPENING DAY

WHERE THE LEADERS HAVE BEEN:

* Malcolm Turnbull spent the morning with his family on Mother's Day in Sydney before he travelled to Canberra to visit Governor General Peter Cosgrove to request parliament be dissolved and a double dissolution election for July 2.

* Bill Shorten launched Labor's paid parental leave policy in Melbourne before travelling to Tasmania to mark the 10-year anniversary of the Beaconsfield mining disaster.

WHAT THE COALITION WANTED TO TALK ABOUT:

* The government's "national economic plan" - otherwise known as the budget.

WHAT LABOR WANTED TO TALK ABOUT:

* Labor will protect new mums' ability to claim paid maternity from their employer and the government, a $1.4 billion policy that effects 80,000 families with new babies each year, who would be as much as $11,800 better off under Labor than they would be under the Liberals.

WHAT MADE NEWS IN THE MORNING:

* Labor's plan to reverse what the coalition government labelled as "double dipping" on paid parental leave.

* General practitioners oppose the federal government's freeze on Medicare rebates and are launching a campaign to warn patients about the policy.

THEY SAID WHAT?

* "If we embrace this future with confidence and with optimism, with self-belief and a clear plan, then we will succeed as we have never succeeded before," Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull told reporters in Canberra announcing the July 2 election.

* "This election is much more than a choice between parties and personalities. This election is a choice about what sort of Australia that we want to live in," Opposition Leader Bill Shorten told reporters in Launceston, Tasmania.

* Asked by a reporter what is happening in Canberra this afternoon, Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce said: "Cup of tea, scones, quick chat. Maybe a little bit of an election. Maybe, I think that's a pretty good guess."

* "There has never been a more exciting time to grow a beard, there has never been a more exciting day to shave it off," a clean-shaven shadow Chris Bowen told Sky News.

FOOT-IN-MOUTH MOMENTS:

* Calling the election on Mother's Day - independent senator Jacqui Lambie accused the prime minister of turning Mother's Day into "Turnbull's Day".

TWEETING:

* "Governor General arrives at Government House" - hopefully this won't be the most important news story breaking today. - Labor MP Graham Perrett

* Bring it on. We will always stand up for action on global warming, compassion to those who seek our help & our clean energy future - Greens leader Richard Di Natale

* While the PM was visiting Govt House I was at the Menindee Cafe, with coffee served by the delightful Ava - Nationals MP Mark Coulton