Bermuda’s democratic heritage should be a point of pride; after all, we have the world’s third-oldest continuous parliament. This legacy means nothing, however, when leaders act like democracy is optional.

We began embracing real accountability, transparency and fairness only in recent years, and now this administration is hellbent on tearing down these principles. These are the very principles they frequently accuse the United Bermuda Party and One Bermuda Alliance of failing to uphold during their respective times in government. They brazenly disrespect the checks and balances meant to keep them honest — muzzling the media, crushing dissent, weaponising institutions of power and entrenching a patronage system that rewards loyalty over the public good. This isn’t a slow fade or a minor slip-up; it’s a full-on assault on our democracy. A power grab that reeks of authoritarian rule. It’s an illiberal contempt for the people of Bermuda that the Progressive Labour Party claims to support.

This will be the first in a series of articles exploring how Bermuda’s democratic norms are being eroded — we invite you to sit with each piece. We’re making bold claims and offering perspectives that some may consider controversial, but every argument we put forward is rooted in evidence, history and a genuine concern for the future of our country. Our primary goal is to raise the standard of political commentary and create space for meaningful, critical dialogue — a space where disagreement doesn’t lead to dismissal or ostracism.

While we have received encouraging feedback from many readers on previous pieces, some responses, particularly in public comments and private messages, have been dismissive or unproductive. We ask that you read each article in full before forming an opinion or leaving a comment. If we’re going to talk honestly about democracy and progress, we must also commit to engaging each other with care and complexity.

Suppressing information and disdain for the media

The Commons Library on authoritarianism describes that “restricting access to information is a key method of undermining democracy” because it allows governments to operate without oversight (Commons Library, 2023). When information is controlled, corruption thrives. Without transparency, there is no accountability. The ability of journalists, activists and ordinary citizens to expose any wrongdoing or lapses in the system is severely weakened and, in some cases, punished.

Transparency is essential for informed citizens, accountable governance and effective investigative journalism. The PLP’s recent amendments to the Public Access to Information Act are an assault on media freedoms and transparency. The changes to Pati, which include charges for requests, make it more difficult for the public to access critical information about how their government operates. The recent Pati amendments are an ironic choice, considering the original purpose was to:

• Expand the public’s right to obtain access to information

• Increase transparency and eliminate unnecessary secrecy

• Increase the accountability of public authorities

• Inform the public about the activities of public authorities, including the manner in which they make decisions

• Have more information placed in the public domain as a matter of routine

Why would a government that claims to work in the people's interest want to restrict their right to know? The answer is simple: control.

Take, for example, The Royal Gazette, which broke a story revealing three six-figure salaries at the BTA, Bermuda Gaming Commission and Bermuda Hospitals Board. Those stories apparently took 50 hours of public officers' time. Under the new legislation, the Gazette would have had to pay $26,520 to bring these crucial stories to the public. Other notable breaking stories reported include the catastrophes at the hospital, payments and correspondence from Gencom, the Fairmont Southampton, gaming and casino secrets, the cost of sending children abroad, the Regulatory Authority’s CEO payoff of at least $220,000, and the Bermuda Police Service’s $14,000 in man hours to monitor antivaxers, among many, many more.

The new Pati legislation prohibits this level of journalism through costs and man hours, as requests exceeding an upper limit of 100 hours can be rejected. The former Information Commissioner warned “that these changes are highly unlikely to generate meaningful revenue” and create “a risk that it will take away everyday Bermudians’ rights to seek public records that are held on their behalf by public authorities”. A government spokeswoman asserted, in response, that Bermuda is “far from an outlier” in Pati, citing Canada and Britain as two examples that charge for requests. This response does not mention that Canada has a flat $5 rate for all requests, eliminates all other associated costs, and waives fees for media and public-interest cases.

Illiberal democracies and authoritarian regimes are not always marked by military coups or overt oppression. More often, they seep in slowly through the silencing of critics, the suppression of information, the demonisation of opponents, and the concentration of power in the hands of a few (Freedom House, 2022). These tactics are well-documented in regimes around the world and, alarmingly, we are seeing them slowly unravel in Bermuda.

A government that fears scrutiny is a government that has something to hide. Under the PLP, there has been an increasing hostility towards the press, with journalists who dare to challenge the Government’s actions dismissed as biased or labelled anti-Bermudian. As if anyone who disagrees with them is anti-Bermudian, they stoke well-grounded racial tension to justify their cronyism. Rather than engaging with criticism, this administration has taken a more sinister approach — discrediting most of the limited journalism and controlling the flow of information to the public through Pati restrictions, and by failing to invest in sufficient research, data collection and data-sharing platforms.

Take, for example, Cabinet ministers Owen Darrell and Jaché Adams, who walked out of a press conference they called at the PLP headquarters when asked about the timing of the 2025 election and how it disenfranchises young people. Similarly, the PLP has a clear, public disdain for The Royal Gazette, often refusing to engage with results from polls, despite it being the only daily paper and primary source for investigative journalism in Bermuda.

Behind closed doors, the vitriol directed at the media is equally deplorable. During Taj Donville-Outerbridge’s time within the PLP, he heard many members of the present and former Cabinet under this administration openly say that they do not read The Royal Gazette, particularly the articles and op-eds related to politics or policy, as they find it overly critical of the Government. Refusing to simply read our only print newspaper and its op-eds means those who lead us are often wholly uninformed about the broader political sentiment and act solely on the assurances of their blindly loyal voter base.

Furthermore, the PLP barely engages in meaningful dialogue with the thought leaders, media or activists who seek accountability from a position of reason and service to Bermuda rather than partisanship. It has cancelled interviews with The Daily Hour talk show and ignored statements from Social Justice Bermuda, Bermuda Youth Connect and OutBermuda. Instead, it engages favourably with partisans who have ties to the present administration or the party — governing for the few, not the many.

This pattern resembles Donald Trump’s recent decision to limit the media outlets that have access to the White House press pool based exclusively on his preferences. The impact? Less information for the public. This is a textbook, authoritarian tactic. Authoritarian regimes seek to “undermine and control independent media” to prevent opposition voices from gaining attention (Freedom House, 2022). The result? A population that is either misinformed or too apathetic to hold its leaders accountable.

The next article will explore the crushing of dissent and opposition in Bermuda by the present administration.

References:

Commons Library (2023).Authoritarianism: How You Know It When You See It

Freedom House (2022). Global Expansion of Authoritarian Rule

• Taj Donville-Outerbridge and Tierrai Tull represent Bermuda Youth Connect. Taj is an award-winning Bermudian human rights activist, writer and student studying a double masters of public administration and global affairs at the London School of Economics and Political Science. He also has a decade of involvement in Bermuda’s political system under his belt. He can be reached via Instagram @_king.taj_ and e-mail at tdonvilleouterbridge@yahoo.com. Tierrai is the founder of Bermuda Youth Connect, studying at Oxford in the Department of Politics and International Relations on the Rhodes Scholarship