On Thursday morning, Prime Minister Scott Morrison finally carried out the anachronistic formalities required to call the election, visiting Governor House in Canberra to seek approval for the poll from the Queen's representative.

If there remain any lingering questions over whether 21^st century Australia should become a republic, then surely the sight of our prime minister seeking permission from the head of a foreign power to hold a democratic election in this country should answer them.

But with that outdated nonsense out of the way, Mr Morrison was able to spend the rest of the day focused on the task of trying to get Australians to vote for him. And what a job he faces.

Australians will go the polls on Saturday, May 18 - the last possible day for the election to be held. It is rare in Australia for a federal parliament to run its full term and, as we've learned again, even rarer for a prime minister to make it from one election to the next.

So Mr Morrison's decision to draw out the election for as long as legally possible gives a clear insight into the thinking of the government and, obviously, it is worried.

The choice of election date means that at no time in the seven months or so since his ascension to PM has Mr Morrison been able to identify when he felt more comfortable than not about his government's re-election chances. And he would not be feeling comfortable now.

Treasurer Josh Frydenberg's "tax cuts budget" handed down just over a week ago did not deliver the poll bounce the government had hoped for and while Mr Morrison remains ahead of opposition leader Bill Shorten as the preferred prime minister, that's unlikely to be enough.

Locally, the main interest will be on who makes it to the ballot paper.

The Nationals' Andrew Gee looks certain to again retain the federal seat of Calare but there will be plenty of interest in who the Shooters, Fishers and Farmers name as their candidate next week.

As for Labor's Jess Jennings, he will be hoping to shave a few more points off Mr Gee's 12 per cent margin after achieving just a three per cent swing in 2016.

But the more important vote for Dr Jennings will be the Bathurst Regional Council mayoral vote in September where he will be pushing hard for the city's top job.