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CBC
14-07-2025
- Health
- CBC
Revamp of Manitoba's air quality monitoring infrastructure needed for 'smokier future,' says expert
Social Sharing Manitoba is looking to expand the infrastructure it has to monitor air quality, a step experts say is important to better map pollution and its long-term health effects worsened by smoke billowing from wildfires. "This isn't a problem that's going away," said Christopher Pascoe, a University of Manitoba associate professor whose research focuses on the impact of wildfire smoke on chronic respiratory diseases. Thousands of people have been forced out of their homes by wildfires in Manitoba since May. It has been a record-breaking season where the province has been put under a state of emergency twice to address the influx of people fleeing from their home — some from worsening air quality. Manitoba operates four air quality monitoring stations — two in Winnipeg, one each in Brandon and Flin Flon — that collect the dirt out of the air and measure the concentration of health-harming particles lingering in the environment. Environment and Climate Change Canada said it draws data from those stations to forecast air quality. The department also pulls in information about contaminants in the air from low-cost sensors that have been installed independently by residents and communities through the province. But Sarah Henderson, a scientific director of environmental health services at the British Columbia Centre for Disease Control, said there's an opportunity to better map pollution drifting from wildfire in the long-term by expanding the infrastructure Manitoba has to monitor air quality. "Wildfires are highly episodic, highly unpredictable," Henderson said. "Four monitors doesn't tell the full story of what's going on when you're having wildfire smoke impacts." Most of the infrastructure Environment Canada uses to forecast air quality in Manitoba is clustered in the southern part of the province. According to an independently created map, which Environment Canada said shows the monitors meteorologists use to forecast air quality, there are roughly 10 stations or sensors north of Dauphin, Man., a city about 250 kilometres northwest of Winnipeg. And all but at least two of these stations in northern Manitoba are in Flin Flon,Thompson and Churchill. In remote or fly-in communities without sensors, Environment Canada said it relies on forecast models, weather observers in airports and satellite imaging to track wildfire smoke and predict its impact to air quality. "But it would be even more accurate if we had an air quality monitor in the community," Henderson said. "Smoke is really dynamic," she said. "Even within a couple of kilometres, the concentrations can be really different." For instance, it is not rare for the two air quality stations in Winnipeg — which are less than four kilometres apart — to show different concentrations of air pollutants from wildfire smoke, said Pascoe. "It can vary even across that relatively small distance," he said. "Without access to that data it makes it more difficult to … really understand what the health effects of poor air are," Pascoe said. "Especially in the north where we've got vulnerable populations that are living right next to these burning forests." One of the closest air quality monitors to Lynn Lake, a town in northwest Manitoba of around 600 people, is about 230 kilometres away in Flin Flon. Henderson and Pascoe agree that the monitor wouldn't provide an accurate reading for the town's air quality given the distance and other models are used to forecast it and trigger warnings, such as one that put Lynn Lake on evacuation alert in late June. Environment Canada said the town could get its air quality index after satellite imaging tracked the smoke that passes through it and found the closest monitor to measure the concentration of pollutants — bringing back the information to get the health risk combined with forecast models. But "you do need more stations in areas where wildfire concern is highest," Pascoe said. "Northern Manitoba … is such a large swath of area that you could have no air quality advisory in place because your air quality monitoring station in Flin Flon and Thompson says there's no air quality advisory," he said. "But in other parts of the province, there could very well be an air quality advisory that isn't being picked up." Planning for a 'smokier future' Environment Canada said they are trying to expand the number of air quality stations and sensors in Manitoba's north in hopes of better monitoring the impacts of wildfire smoke in air quality. "We have a couple tools in the toolbox, but it would obviously be very beneficial as well if we got more of these stations," said Crawford Luke, a meteorologist with the federal agency. But there are some limitations. Sensors most of the time require Wi-Fi and power to feed back the data needed to calculate air quality — a hurdle in remote communities Environment Canada is hoping to overcome, Luke said. A spokesperson for the province told CBC News the government is also planning to expand air quality monitoring using low-cost air-quality sensors in "strategic locations," specifically remote communities frequently impacted by wildfire smoke. But no specifics on the plan have so far been shared, other than saying the province is still in the process of investigating opportunities, including how to configure it best with the existing stations. In the short-term, Pascoe said more air quality infrastructure would also allow Environment Canada to better predict how smoke is drifting as wind directions change and provide more accurate estimates, including in Winnipeg, of when it is unsafe to be outside especially during the wildfire season. Henderson said Environment Canada has been trying to fill in the gaps of air quality monitoring on the map, encouraging communities to install their own sensors in recent years. It is part of transforming an air quality monitoring network that was originally established in Canada to evaluate pollution from traffic and industry. "Those are still important sources, but we have made great progress in regulating those over time," she said. "But what we do see is a lot more wildfire smoke and we're going to keep seeing that." While air quality monitors are not necessarily needed to inform the public that it is smoky outside because pollutants are visible in high concentrations, the value of having these tools is for the long-term, Henderson said. "Wildfire smoke affects your health when it's happening, but it's also going to have a longer lasting effect," she said. Those pile up over time and having better data can help scientists understand the effects of wildfire smoke in a particular location. "As we move into this smokier future, it would be great if people could have had access to something that says how many smoky days have you had in the past 10 years?" she said.
National Observer
03-07-2025
- Health
- National Observer
Four years after the heat dome, does BC need an extreme heat czar?
At least 619 people died in the heat dome that broiled British Columbia four years ago. Most were seniors, and most died alone in their homes. Paramedics were pushed to the brink — there weren't enough ambulances to save those in need — as the most deadly environmental disaster in Canadian history unfolded. Four years later, there is widespread recognition from municipalities, the provincial and federal governments that protecting people from extreme heat is crucial as climate change makes heat waves more common and severe. But while steps have been taken, plenty of work remains, and some experts say it's time to recognize the right to cool. 'We are in a much better place than we were at this time in 2021,' said Sarah Henderson, scientific director of environmental health services with the BC Centre of Disease Control and professor at UBC's School of Population and Public Health. 'That doesn't mean that we're as far as we need to go.' Henderson said the province has taken coordinated and effective planning decisions around extreme heat, including identifying conditions under which to issue heat alerts or declaring extreme heat emergencies, and has put 'a real emphasis on the risks around indoor temperatures.' The next major extreme heat planning step, she said, is coordinating across sectors like agriculture, transportation, utilities and, of course, health. Dying from a brutal, oppressive heat is a terrifying death. When temperatures become dangerously high, blood vessels dilate to redirect blood flow from the body's core to the periphery to cool. But this can lead to not enough blood flowing to vital organs, which then begin to fail. Extreme, prolonged heat can also cause cell death, causing damage to vital organs like the heart, increasing the risk of cardiac arrest. One medical study found 27 different ways extreme heat can lead to death, offering 'a worrisome glimpse into what a warming planet may have in store for us.' 'These aren't random misfortunes, they are evidence of what scientists have been talking about for decades. The climate is changing,' said Sarah Henderson, scientific director of environmental health services with the BC Centre of Disease Control. Katia Tynan, manager of resilience and disaster risk reduction with the city of Vancouver, told Canada's National Observer the city is proactively responding to extreme heat. Since the heat dome, the city has rolled out grants to 14 separate organizations, including the Vancouver Aboriginal Friendship Centre Society, community centres and neighbourhood houses, to respond to extreme heat. 'During crises like extreme heat, people go to the places and people they know and trust to meet their needs,' Tynan said. 'So, these organizations work very hard behind the scenes to create these heat plans.' Those organizations also conduct wellness checks on seniors, provide cooling equipment and set up informal cooling spaces in their own facilities. Tynan said the city has opened more cooling centres (40 are open today, compared to 30 in 2021), more misting stations, more water fountains, and has set up a program that has so far delivered 6,000 cooling kits to people (essentially a box holding a thermometer, spray bottle, cooling towel, gel freezer packs and information about extreme heat.) Air conditioning should be a 'standard expectation' These are policy responses to a memo to the mayor and council from the Vancouver City Planning Commission sent immediately following the heat dome, in July 2021, urging the city to 'save lives by addressing the municipal policy gaps between acknowledging the reality of the climate emergency and the policies necessary for people to survive it.' That memo said without improving the city's response to extreme heat and poor air quality, it is more likely people will die. Policy decisions that disproportionately impact disabled, racialized and poor people have meant those with the least ability to stay safe from climate change are bearing the brunt of it, it adds. City planning staff said responses would have to be tailored to the specific needs of different populations. Unhoused people need access to cooling stations. At the same time, cooling stations are not a viable solution for disabled or elderly people living at home because they should not be told to leave home to seek relief from the heat while heat alerts are warning them to stay inside, staff said. One of the most challenging areas of improvement is air conditioning. Nationally, about 61 per cent of people have air conditioning. In British Columbia, once famous for its mild weather, that rate drops to 32 per cent. 'Please remember, at one time central heating and indoor plumbing were considered luxuries only available to the wealthiest,' the Vancouver city planning memo reads. 'It is time we make maintaining high indoor air quality and energy-efficient air conditioning part of our standard expectations of housing, just as we do toilets, bathtubs and heat.' Provincial utility BC Hydro was offering free air conditioning units to lower-income people, and delivered 27,000 units in the past three years, but has exhausted its funding, the Vancouver Sun reported last month. Henderson said air conditioning could be an important part of a suite of policy options, but other steps can be taken to cool buildings. Shaded windows, installed awnings, and even painting roofs white can all help nudge temperatures down. Building codes and retrofits In an interview with Canada's National Observer, Kelly Greene, BC's minister for emergency preparedness and climate readiness, pointed to updates to building standards for new homes requiring 'at least one living space within every unit to not go over certain temperature thresholds,' she said, as well as changes to residential tenancy regulations to allow renters to install AC units. But there are limits. 'Sometimes, there are genuine issues about electrical load that can't be overcome in an older building, but barring that … you are allowed to put in a free-standing air conditioning unit,' she said. Tynan agreed access to cool, clean air in homes is important, and said Vancouver now requires new buildings to have cooling and air filtration. The city is also funding two retrofit projects: one aimed at rental buildings, the other for non-profit housing. 'The goal of these is to fully or partially electrify — so adding heat pumps and mechanical cooling electrical systems to 20 buildings in each of these pilots over the next couple of years,' she said. 'So, we are trying to address this gap around existing facilities as well, recognizing that people do need to have cooling in their homes to protect them from extreme heat.' Kendra Jewell, the University of British Columbia's Centre for Climate Justice housing research project manager, was a renter in Vancouver during the heat dome, and said while there are many short-term and targeted solutions worth pursuing, it's time to take a more systemic approach and recognize that people have a 'right to cool.' The right to cool, Jewell said, is a proposal outlined in a report published last week for policy-makers that recognizes cooling as a fundamental right rather than a privilege. 'You can't think about it as a series of isolated one-time policy fixes; it has to be a sustained political and social commitment that considers many different types of vulnerability,' Jewell said. 'One of the key findings of our research is that heat risk is systemic and intersectional.' Jewell pointed to the finding that two-thirds of the heat dome deaths were seniors, saying it's a case study on how to think about vulnerability to extreme heat. A lot of the strategies to deal with extreme heat looked at why seniors were disproportionately at risk, and would point to underlying chronic health conditions as the answer. (The BC Coroner's report of the heat dome found heat deaths were higher among people with chronic diseases and more than 60 per cent of the deaths involved individuals who had seen medical professionals within the prior month). To Jewell, that's a great evidence-based start, but it doesn't go far enough in understanding people's vulnerability. They said research indicates that looking at both physiological and social conditions is actually the most predictive of heat related risk. 'In the context of seniors, you can think about how things, like living on a fixed income or living alone, compounded that bio-medical risk,' they said. 'We can't think about age, poverty, social isolation or any other risk factor alone. 'We have to think about heat risk as systemic and intersectional, and we need our responses to be similarly multi-faceted so that they can reflect that.' Extreme heat czar Beyond the 619 people killed, the heat dome also eviscerated marine life, with an estimated billion marine animals killed along the Pacific coast. And the heat wave ushered the BC town of Lytton to its fiery end. After record-melting temperatures (49.6C) were recorded in the town, a wildfire soon swept in, reducing it to smouldering ashes. None of this would have happened if not for fossil fuel-driven climate change, found a 2022 study published in Nature Climate Change from Columbia Climate School at Columbia University. Climate scientists are clear that until global greenhouse gas emissions stabilize, extreme weather like heat waves, droughts, floods and wildfires will continue to be more common and more severe. The frequency of this extreme heat won't be evenly felt across Canada. By 2050, Ontario and Manitoba will have 1.5 times the number of days of extreme heat, while Yukon will be experiencing six times more extreme temperatures. By 2080, the average number of days above safe temperature thresholds in Canada will range from 75 to 100 days if emissions continue to climb — representing a lethal summer season. Ontario, Quebec, Manitoba and the Atlantic provinces are expected to have the most 'potentially deadly hot days annually,' reports the Canadian Climate Institute. For Henderson, that's the key lesson from the heat dome. Extreme heat will happen again. It's just a matter of time. 'These aren't random misfortunes, they are evidence of what scientists have been talking about for decades. The climate is changing,' she said. 'So everything we can do to raise the bar on preparedness for next year and 10 years from now and 30 years from now, is going to pay dividends into the future.' 'One of the key things we don't have in the province right now, which we're seeing in other places, is for lack of a better word, an 'extreme heat czar,'' she said. 'We have lots of people who view this as part of their broader work, but nobody with dedicated responsibility to extreme heat.' The benefit, Henderson says, is that priorities frequently shift based on the priorities of the day. If an individual were empowered to keep extreme heat as their focus, even when other disasters, like flooding or a pandemic, occur, further change to protect lives could be driven. LNG ships Greene said because BC's government recognizes more climate change-driven extreme heat and other disasters will continue to be more common, the province is taking steps. She described an extreme heat emergency alert sent out to people through their phones, radios and televisions with information about how to stay safe; financial support to help communities open cooling centres, updating building codes for new buildings to require temperatures to not exceed certain thresholds; and providing funding for communities to plan for extreme heat through temperature mapping. But she also acknowledged that rising global emissions will mean worsening climate disasters, including droughts, floods, wildfires and landslides. 'So it is important to continue to decarbonize our economy,' she said. As the anniversary of the heat dome passes, British Columbia is witnessing another milestone: the first LNG ships to export natural gas to global markets — setting off the carbon bomb that is the Montney Play — had sailed. 'I know there is more work to do, and it's something that has to happen in tandem with protecting communities, protecting people from the effects of climate change,' Greene said. 'Realistically in the world, we're not going to be turning off fossil fuels tomorrow, there's no switch to turn off, and so this work continues to be important both in growing our clean economy and protecting communities.'
Scotsman
01-07-2025
- Business
- Scotsman
Edinburgh digital sector strengthens as English heating firm targets Scottish Market growth through partnership
FlexiHeat UK joins forces with digital marketing specialists as capital's agencies report growing demand from energy efficiency companies. Sign up to our daily newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... An English heating systems provider has partnered with a digital marketing agency to enhance its online presence, as companies across the energy efficiency sector increasingly recognize the importance of digital transformation to reach Scottish markets including Edinburgh's commercial and residential sectors. FlexiHeat UK, a provider of high-efficiency heating solutions established in 1992, has announced a strategic partnership with Digitaleer to improve its visibility online and better showcase its range of heating applications to Scottish customers, including cost-effective solutions for warehouses, outdoor events, and domestic use across Edinburgh homes. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The collaboration reflects broader trends in Edinburgh's digital marketing sector, where agencies report growing demand from energy and heating companies seeking to strengthen their Scottish market presence through sophisticated online strategies. A modern digital marketing workspace in Edinburgh representing the capital's growing digital sector, where agencies are partnering with energy companies like FlexiHeat UK to strengthen Scottish market presence through sophisticated online strategies and digital transformation initiatives. Edinburgh's Digital Marketing Boom The partnership comes as Edinburgh consolidates its position as a major digital marketing hub, with the city home to award-winning agencies including Yard, LOCALiQ, and Red Sky Digital, which specialize in helping businesses enhance their online visibility through SEO, PPC, and digital strategy services. "We're seeing increasing demand from energy sector companies looking to strengthen their Scottish market presence," explains Sarah Henderson from Edinburgh-based digital marketing consultancy. "The combination of Scotland's renewable energy focus and Edinburgh's expertise in digital transformation creates significant opportunities." Edinburgh's digital marketing sector has shown strong growth, with agencies like Redevolution operating from both Aberdeen and Edinburgh to support industrial companies across SEO, web design, and content creation services specifically targeted at B2B energy markets. Scottish Energy Market Opportunities Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad FlexiHeat UK's focus on the Scottish market aligns with Scotland's renewable energy ambitions and Edinburgh's Smart City strategy, which aims to boost digital inclusion and sustainability through technology adoption. The company's comprehensive product range includes boilers, water heaters, and warm air heaters available in gas, electric, or oil configurations solutions particularly relevant for Edinburgh's diverse building stock from historic properties to modern commercial developments. "We are excited to work with FlexiHeat UK to boost their digital presence," said a spokesperson for Digitaleer SEO & Web Design. "Our unique approach to SEO and digital marketing provides capability to take a site to the top of major search engines while increasing brand reputation." Edinburgh businesses have shown particular interest in heating efficiency solutions, with the city's commercial sector including warehouses, exhibition spaces, and industrial facilities requiring sophisticated heating systems that FlexiHeat UK specializes in providing. Digital Transformation in Energy Sector Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The partnership reflects broader digital transformation trends affecting Scotland's energy sector, where companies are increasingly investing in online presence to reach customers across Edinburgh's growing commercial and residential markets. Scottish energy companies have recognized the importance of digital marketing, with organizations like Scottish Renewables supporting industry networking and business development through digital platforms and directories. FlexiHeat UK's product portfolio includes specialized solutions relevant to Edinburgh's market needs, including universal oil and waste oil drip heaters, electric heaters designed for workshops and commercial spaces, and condensing oil boilers that reduce fuel consumption and environmental emissions. Edinburgh Business Support Infrastructure The city's digital transformation support infrastructure includes Edinburgh Council's Digital and Smart City Strategy 2024-2027, which provides frameworks for businesses adopting digital technologies to enhance efficiency and customer engagement. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Edinburgh's established business community includes organizations like the Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce, which supports digital inclusion initiatives and sustainable business practices areas where heating efficiency companies like FlexiHeat UK can contribute to the city's environmental goals. Local digital marketing agencies report that energy sector partnerships are becoming increasingly important as Scottish businesses prioritize sustainability and efficiency improvements in response to both regulatory requirements and customer demand. Market Positioning FlexiHeat UK's decision to enhance its Scottish market presence through digital marketing reflects the company's recognition of Scotland's significant opportunities in both commercial and residential heating markets. The company, formerly known as Kroll UK, has established itself as a market leader in warm air heating systems, boilers, and dehumidifiers throughout the United Kingdom and Ireland, with Edinburgh representing a key target market for expansion. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Edinburgh's position as Scotland's capital and a major commercial center makes it an attractive market for heating solutions providers, particularly those offering energy-efficient alternatives that align with the city's sustainability objectives. The partnership between FlexiHeat UK and Digitaleer demonstrates how English companies are increasingly recognizing the importance of sophisticated digital marketing strategies to effectively compete in Scottish markets, with Edinburgh's digital expertise providing the tools necessary for successful market entry and growth.
CTV News
23-06-2025
- Health
- CTV News
New UBC study reveals health dangers when extreme heat and smoke collide
As wildfires burn across the country and temperatures continue to climb, many Canadians are likely to face a mix of smoky skies and intense heat this summer. New research from the University of British Columbia suggests that combination may pose a particularly serious threat to human health. The study—led by Dr. Sarah Henderson, professor at UBC's School of Population and Public Health and scientific director at the B.C. Centre for Disease Control—looked at how simultaneous exposure to wildfire smoke and high temperatures can impact illness and death rates. Henderson and her team looked at more than 21,000 deaths that occurred outside hospitals and care facilities in the greater Vancouver area over 13 wildfire seasons, from 2010 to 2022. 'There was a higher risk on those days that were both hot and smoky,' said Henderson. However, she says the relationship between heat and smoke isn't straightforward. While smoke-related health risks climb quickly at moderate exposure and then tend to level off, she says the dangers linked to extreme heat keep rising sharply. Henderson says the data suggests that high temperatures by themselves are more harmful to health than smoke exposure during milder conditions. However, Henderson says the threat smoke poses cannot be taken lightly. 'There's often a lot of focus on wildfire smoke on those days when the sky turns orange and everything smells like a campfire,' she said. 'But we found that there was risk on days when people might not even realize that it's a little bit smoky.' Henderson says their research showed that during the 2021 heat dome that killed more than 600 British Columbians, people with schizophrenia were the most at risk, because they often have a hard time realizing that they are unwell. People living in poverty and older adults with underlying health conditions were also high-risk, according to Henderson. She says keeping the air in your home as cool and clean as possible will give you the best chance to stay healthy. Henderson suggests air conditioners, indoor air cleaners and sealing up potential openings to keep the smoke out. Though she acknowledges that not everyone may have the ability to do that. 'If you can keep one room of your home cool and smoke free as possible, and spend time there when you need to, you will be protecting your health,' she said.
News.com.au
28-05-2025
- Business
- News.com.au
‘Ruthlessly personal': Karl Stefanovic's fiery interview with Sussan Ley after WFH architect dumped from frontbench
Liberal leader Sussan Ley's decision to dump work from home policy architect Jane Hume from shadow cabinet has been savaged as 'ruthlessly personal' in a fiery interview. The big shock of the shake up was that high profile Senator Jane Hume and Liberal MP Sarah Henderson were dumped from the frontbench. Today show host Karl Stefanovic confronted Ms Ley on Nine's breakfast program over the changes on Thursday morning with a series of brutal questions. 'I am not saying this is a bad thing, but you are ruthlessly personal,'' Today show host Karl Stefanovic said. 'That's not my view, Karl,'' Ms Ley replied. 'We have a fantastic team. I spoke to every one of the 54 in the line up about the role that we all need to play, because our job is to take the fight up to labor to be the strongest possible Opposition on behalf of the Australian people.' Stefanovic then asked, 'So, you don't like Jane Hume, but it's not personal?.' 'Jane is a fantastic colleague and contributor and will remain in exactly the role she has as senator for Victoria,'' Ms Ley said. 'And whether you're in the frontbench line up or the backbench, and these terms mean different things to different people. But I always say that no matter where you sit in the House of Representatives or the Senate, you have an enormous opportunity and a tremendous privilege. 'What we have to do is get out there and fight this fight hard. 'Because even if you did support Anthony Albanese at the last election, you do need to see a strong Opposition.' 'They said Peter Dutton had a problem with female voters, but now you've deliberately reduced the number of women in the Shadow Cabinet?,'' Stefanovic then asked. Ms Ley replied that 40% of her shadow ministry are women when you include the outer ministry. Speaking in Canberra on Wednesday, Ms Ley denied that the decision to dump Senator Hume was a 'get square' for the moderate MP backing Angus Taylor. 'Absolutely not. I'm not going to reflect on the qualities of individuals with respect to the qualities of other individuals. I don't think that's a fair question,'' Ms Ley said. 'Opposition is not about hierarchies. It's not about structure. It's about getting every player on the field, fighting the fight, because this is not about the internals you've spoken of. This is about how we go out there to work hard for the Australian people.' As expected, the high profile Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price has been relegated to the outer ministry and will not sit in the shadow cabinet but she has secured a role in the defence industry portfolio. If Senator Price had stayed with the Nationals, she would likely have been expected to secure the role of deputy and a frontbench role. In relation to Senator Price, Ms Ley said she had spoken to her about the new appointment. 'She's excited to take it up. There is no more important area than safety, national security and defence and you will see a great profiling of defence under Angus Taylor as we go forward in this term,'' she said, Senator Price, who had originally left the Nationals and defected to the Liberal Party to support and run for deputy leader, takes on the defence portfolio. Senate leader Michaelia Cash will take on the prized foreign affairs role, going head to head against Senator Penny Wong in the Senate. Deputy Liberal leader Ted O'Brien will take on the role of treasury spokesman while leadership aspirant Angus Taylor has been shifted from Shadow Treasurer to Defence. James Paterson has been promoted to the Coalition spokesman for finance, government services, and the public service. Future leadership aspirant Andrew Hastie, who had asked to move from defence into an economics or social services role, has been promoted to the spokesman for home affairs. Former Nationals leaders Barnaby Joyce and Michael McCormack have been hit with demotions from the frontbench. Ley lashed over decision to dump four women As the dust settles from the shake-up, Liberals have pointed out there are now fewer women in the shadow cabinet than under Peter Dutton. That's because Ms Ley has dumped Victorians Jane Hume and Sarah Henderson from the frontbench and Tasmanian Claire Chandler and demoted Senator Jacinta Price. There are now eight women in a 27-strong shadow cabinet - an enormous frontbench given the dwindling size of the opposition ranks in Parliament. By comparison, there were 11 women in Mr Dutton's 23-strong shadow cabinet prior to the election of Sussan Ley although a large number of new faces have been promoted to the outer ministry. 'I feel for Jane Hume, she's just collateral damage,'' a Liberal MP and supporter of Angus Taylor in the leadership ballot said. But Senator Hume's position is particularly curious, because while Mr Taylor's group believes she voted for him in the secret ballot, Ms Ley's supporters insist the moderate voted for her. A similar mystery has emerged over exactly who Senator Hume has voted for in previous ballots leading to questions over her factional allegiances. A regular on Channel 7's Sunrise, she angered colleagues during the election over her claim 'Chinese spies' were working at voting booths for the ALP along with the work from home debacle. She also emerged in 2022 and in 2025 as a potential candidate for the deputy leadership. 'We think Jane did vote for Sussan. It's not a punishment,'' a supporter of Ms Ley said. But other MPs claim that there was a falling out between the two women, amid claims Senator Hume had accused Ms Ley's faction of backgrounding against her. Former leaders dumped from frontbench Speaking on Sky News, Mr McCormack confirmed he wasn't part of the new team and hinted he would have more to say about the big issues including net zero. 'So Barnaby and I are no longer in the shadow ministry, but that's okay,'' Mr McCormack said. 'That is the leader's prerogative. He gets to make that call. ' Asked if he was being punished for being critical of the 'shemozzle' that had unfolded in the Nationals, Mr McCormack didn't deny it. 'You would have to ask David Littleproud,'' he said. 'That is very much a question for him. But I spoke up and spoke out for what I felt was a decision that was taken in haste, a decision that we didn't need to make last week, a decision that we could have spent much more time on if we didn't need to make. 'I felt the break away from the Liberal looked messy, and from the public's point of view, they must have just been scratching their heads and wondering what on earth was going on.' Fallout continues with David Littleproud under pressure Despite the peace deal, Mr Littleproud remains under pressure from his own MPs amid swirling speculation he could be replaced as leader. Former Nationals leader Michael McCormack told that he wouldn't rule out a return to the leadership if he was drafted. Nationals MP Colin Boyce has now claimed that 'unfounded and wrong' information about the nature of the original negotiations with the Liberals that was provided by Mr Littleproud means' he can't support him. 'How can you support a bloke that misleads the partyroom? I'm calling him out,' Mr Boyce told Sky News. 'I can't do it. You take these four policies that David took to the first meeting with Sussan Ley, again, none of that has come through the partyroom. It wasn't discussed.' 'The proposal to abandon the Coalition agreement was all based on advice given by National Party leadership. I think that advice was unfounded and wrong,' he said. 'If we are going to go into Coalition with the Liberal Party, cabinet solidarity is one of the most important things of having that Coalition.
