Despite the turmoil of 2020, Australians’ trust in political leaders has surged. Can it last?

It’s December, and Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews is about to board his first flight in nearly nine months, to the first face-to-face meeting of the National Cabinet of state and federal leaders.

Given we’ve all just lived through what might feel like the longest year of our lives, he’s probably not the only one hoping for a smoother year ahead.

“I think as we end the year, there’s a sense of optimism, a sense of confidence, that we can have a COVID safe summer and that we’ve all been able to see off [Melbourne’s] second wave,” he tells me from Melbourne Airport.

Yes, 2020 has shaken up the way we live and work, in temporary and permanent ways. But it has also changed the fabric of our public conversation, catapulting previously unheard…