Breaking Free of Neoliberalism in Trump Times
by Alex Himelfarb
Alex Himelfarb explores neoliberalism’s history and troubling reappearance in Canadian politics, and why the need for new thinking is more urgent than ever
As the world reels from the turmoil of American politics, former senior bureaucrat Alex Himelfarb addresses the challenges facing Canadians after decades of neoliberal thinking have undermined the capacity of governments to protect and support their citizens.
Himelfarb offers an insider’s account of how the neoliberal ideas of Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher were first brought to Canada by Brian Mulroney and Paul Martin. In 2025, Canadians opted for the unifying message of Mark Carney and Elbows Up, and Carney’s speech at Davos in early 2026 recognized that we need a whole new approach to the world’s politics and economics. Yet in a series of rapid decisions, his government has quietly reinforced the neoliberal agenda of unregulated industries, growing inequality, and limited action on climate change. Gaining a majority in mid-2026, the Carney government was free to pursue economic growth to achieve greater independence from US-Canada ties. Yet this single-minded agenda misses much of what Canadians expect and need from their federal government.
Drawing on 30 years at the highest levels of government, Himelfarb proposes a different path for a democratic and sustainable future in Canada. “If we understand how we got here,” he writes, “we will be in better shape to find our way out.”
About the Author
ALEX HIMELFARB is an academic and civil service legend having spent almost 30 years serving in various departments. He was appointed Clerk of the Privy Council and Secretary to the Cabinet in 2002, serving three Prime Ministers. A former Ambassador of Canada to the Italian Republic with concurrent accreditation to the Republic of Albania, the Republic of San Marino, and High Commissioner to the Republic of Malta. He taught at the University of New Brunswick for a decade before joining the public service and was Director of the Glendon School of Public and International Affairs at York University from 2009 to 2014. He has chaired and sat on numerous non-governmental boards, including the Canadian Alliance to End Homelessness, the Atkinson foundation, the Canadian Center for Policy Alternatives and the World Wildlife Fund Canada. Ever involved he splits his time between Ottawa and Toronto with his wife, three children and faithful Australian labradoodle.
Reviews
"This book is required reading for understanding how to turn the tide going forward. Himelfarb writes, we will know when neoliberalism is dead and buried when human rights and democracy take precedence over economic freedom and profit.
Breaking Free is a stunning accomplishment. I have been immersed in the analysis of neoliberalism for most of my career. And yet Breaking Free has provided me new insights. It is unsurpassed."
“Breaking Free from Neoliberalism provides an insightful analysis of how neoliberalism emerged and its continued grip on politics and discourse, presented from the unique perspective of a practitioner who participated in its development and has since critically reflected on its impact...
Himelfarb’s Breaking Free of Neoliberalism is a clarion call for the rejection of neoliberalism and its impoverished conception of freedom as the freedom to compete and consume and a renewed focus on solidarity and the common good. Written in an accessible, conversational manner, it is of interest to general readers who wish to understand our current malaise as well as students of Canadian politics.”
"Here at long last is a Gramscian telling of Canada’s 50-year history with neoliberalism and its zombie ideas that refuse to die. And Alex Himelfarb, a deep and insightful thinker with front-row experience making transformational change in the federal public service, is the ideal person to tell it. This book is a captivating account of the battle of ideas, drawing on the international context but with special application to Canada. Himelfarb warns us against the false promises of politicians offering “common sense solutions.” It is no fun living in the interregnum of the present – in the morbid space between the dying old world and the birth of the new. But Himelfarb urges us not to lose faith in our collective capacity, nor to let the legacy of neoliberalism sap our imagination and ambition for how to do great things together. "
"To describe Breaking Free of Neoliberalism, as a must-read for those seeking to understand the political forces dominating our society— is an understatement. It’s a masterpiece.
Himelfarb takes the reader on a journey from neoliberalism’s intellectual foundations during WW2; its development shaped by corporate-funded think tanks; its ascendance in the early 1980s, and its dominance as a political order—with various mutations—to the present day.
Neoliberalism’s tool kit —which includes deregulation, privatization, austerity, tax cuts for the wealthy, an acquiescent public sector beholden to corporate priorities—has infected our beliefs about whether alternatives are even possible.
An urgent warning of the consequences we face in a world of extreme inequality, fossil-fuelled climate crisis, conflict, growing authoritarianism, Himelfarb considers how we might break free of its grip. How citizens can rediscover their collective power to confront our challenges and create a progressive alternative and robust democracy.
Breaking Free is especially timely with high stakes elections on the horizon."
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