How much power does the Minister of Home Affairs need?

Our government has continued its trend of eroding independent bodies in Bermuda and minimising accountability in the name of making Bermuda “fairer”.

We all want lower energy bills for Bermudians, but that does not excuse further consolidation of power for the Progressive Labour Party government.

The Electricity Amendment Act 2026 passed recently through the House of Assembly and Senate. This amendment gives the Minister of Home Affairs the power to pause, for up to two years, and reconstitute the planning process for our Integrated Resource Plan.

The minister, Alexa Lightbourne, argued that this will ensure affordability, accountability to the public, and realign the planning process with the Government’s agenda. All things that the One Bermuda Alliance agrees with in principle, but we have concerns with how the PLP chose to execute this.

My colleagues and I laid out our concerns about unintended consequences, the minister already having considerable powers to participate in the planning process, and affordability already being enshrined within our current legislation.

The unintended consequences of this amendment are limiting our decisions on our energy future to political objectives, the cost of a pause/reconstitution causing electricity bills to increase, potential legal action placing the consumer on the hook for both sides and potentially jeopardising our energy sustainability.

Responsible governance is rooted in the core principle that experts inform policymakers so that our legislation achieves its intended goals for the people, backed by data. Politicians may have good intentions and bring expertise to certain subjects but should always work in partnership with experts inside the public and private sector. We should strive to retain humility and be guided on technical matters by people who live and breathe the subject at hand.

This amendment flies straight in the face of that core principle, continuing the PLP governance style, that only they know what’s best for Bermudians.

The minister already has substantial powers at her disposal through the Regulatory Authority Act 2011 and Electricity Act 2016.

In the Regulatory Act, the minister is granted the authority to issue declarations to establish policy for the regulated industry sector, establish general requirements of the Regulatory Authority, and introduce sectoral legislation.

The minister is also granted the power of written Ministerial Directions to the Regulatory Authority under this same Act, which are required to be published in the OfficialGazette. The Act also provides enforcement options for the minister if the Regulatory Authority does not comply with her directions. The board of the Regulatory Authority can be required to provide written explanations for noncompliance, meet with the minister if its explanation is not deemed suitable, and if all else fails, the minister reserves the right to apply for a Supreme Court order to ensure compliance with her direction.

These powers are reinforced in the Electricity Act 2016. The minister did not provide an in-depth explanation as to how the IRP planning process became so divorced from theh Government’s objectives despite all this legislated authority.

Affordability is protected in our legislation already regarding the IRP planning. In the Electricity Act 2016 under Generation Planning, Integrated Resource Plan point (2)(b) states “prioritise actions that most meet the purposes of this Act, conform to ministerial directions, and be reasonably likely to supply electricity at the least cost, subject to trade-offs contained in the Ministerial Directions or instructions from the authority”.

The most troubling point for me is this trend from the PLP when it comes to eroding independent bodies, undermining experts, and reducing accountability preceding this amendment. Occurrences such as:

•Compromising the independence of the Bermuda Tourism Authority

•Compromising the independence of the Casino Gaming Commission

•Dragging their feet on an independent Education Authority

•Seizing control of the municipalities of Hamilton and St George

•The passing of the Government Loans Amendment Act, which allows the movement of funds from the sinking fund with less accountability

•The passing of the Development and Planning Amendment Act 2021, which changed the passage of special development orders and emergency development orders to negative resolution, reducing a layer of accountability

Does this seem like a fairer Bermuda?

The One Bermuda Alliance believes a better first step is bringing forward legislation to give the Regulatory Authority more teeth to enforce existing legislation. This would yield better structural results for Bermuda, strengthening our independent regulator’s ability to safeguard Bermudians, avoiding ministerial overreach, without adding more layers of bureaucracy.

We will empower our experts, craft data-driven policy, and empower our independent bodies to properly look out for Bermudian interests, without fear of political interference.

That is a fundamental difference in ideologies between the OBA and the PLP.

• Dwayne Robinson is the Shadow Minister of Home Affairs and MP for Southampton East Central (Constituency 30)