Jane Kelsey’s exploration of the effects of globalisation on the New Zealand economy was eye-opening when published in 1999. She offered a trenchantly expressed response to the neoliberal slogan of the time, ‘There is no alternative.’ Kelsey’s analysis remains a critical yardstick for current policies and an alternative perspective on the development of global relationships. The recent global financial meltdown and subsequent recession give new relevance to her questions about globalisation’s consequences for sovereignty and democracy. Kelsey continues to offer a bold voice of challenge and critique, pointing the way for open-eyed engagement with the economic realities of the future.