Opposition Leader Tony Abbott says the 2013 federal election will be about trust when the poll is held in eight months' time.
"The coalition is ready," he told reporters in Canberra.
Prime Minister Julia Gillard called the poll for Saturday, September 14, in a surprise announcement earlier today.
Mr Abbott, who raced back to the capital from Melbourne as the news circulated, said Australians would have a clear choice in September.
"It's more tax or less. It's more regulation or less. It's less competence or more. It's less freedom or more," he said.
"That's the clear choice facing the Australian people on September the 14th."
Speaking at a press conference in Parliament House, Mr Abbott stood behind a lectern carrying a banner bearing the coalition's campaign slogan, "Hope, Reward, Opportunity".
"This election will be about trust. Who do you trust to reduce cost of living pressures?" he said.
"Who do you trust to boost small business and to boost job security, and who do you trust to secure our borders?"
"That's what this election will be all about."
Mr Abbott repeatedly said the coalition had positive plans for the country.
"The coalition has real solutions ... that we're already campaigning on," he said.
"We've been saying for a long time now that we have positive plans for a strong and prosperous economy."
He also mentioned plans for communities, the environment and border protection and infrastructure, without giving any further detail.
Mr Abbott said Australia was a great country that had been let down by a bad government.
"We now have the date to change it," he said.
Mr Abbott did not take any questions, ending the press conference after just over three minutes.
Australia is in for a long-running unofficial election campaign ahead of the governor-general issuing writs on Monday, August 12 - the date that will mark the start of the official campaign.
