Royal Gazette reports on the Senate impasse over the Cost of Living Bill

The Royal Gazette has reported on the Senate impasse over the Cost of Living Commission Amendment (No 2) Act 2026, following Senator Victoria Cunningham's op-ed published earlier this week.

The story, written by Owain Johnston-Barnes, sets out the central point of dispute. The Opposition's vote on 22 July was on a motion to defer the third reading to September so that the Bill could receive proper scrutiny, not a vote against the Bill itself. It quotes Senator Cunningham's response to the Minister's social media video: "A government confident in its legislation defends it on the substance. It does not need to edit a clerk's roll call to make its case."

The Gazette also carries the Ministry of Home Affairs' reply. The Ministry says the Bill is intended to strengthen the Cost of Living Commission's tools for transparency on supply chain pricing, and on whether duty reductions are reaching consumers, adding that it "does not prevent businesses from operating, nor does it impose blanket price controls".

The report goes on to cover Senator Cunningham's concerns about the five percent price-increase approval threshold and its likely effect on how perishable goods are priced, along with her central question: what evidence is there that this mechanism will actually reduce what consumers pay at the checkout.

The Opposition's position is unchanged. It will support legislation that genuinely lowers the cost of living in Bermuda, and does not consider these amendments to be that legislation.

Read the full story at The Royal Gazette using the link above.