Using theory to ‘speak back’ to neoliberal performativity: the Northern Territory Intervention and the inventing of a neoliberal subject as a case in point

Abstract

The paper reflects on the Northern Territory Intervention as a neoliberal regime governing the conduct of Australia’s Aboriginal population in the Northern Territory. In doing so, it only provides a critical commentary and is formative in its reflection, rather than providing an in-depth substantiation of the theoretical propositions put forward. It is divided into three parts. First, the paper reflects on the critical scholarship analysing the Northern Territory Intervention as a neoliberal phenomenon, discussing broadly the contributions of such theoretical accounts. Second, it adds to this scholarship, which aims to decolonise the discursive dimensions of neoliberal performativity, by briefly considering performativity in the context of failure and exposing the pernicious effects of neoliberal performativity, as well as engaging Aboriginal voices to invert failure. As such, its role is to continue the discussion about (and make a small contribution to this discussion of) how critical scholars are engaging with the theoretical tools of poststructuralism, postcolonialism, critical whiteness studies and a governmentality approach, for example, to ‘speak back’ to the Northern Territory Intervention as a neoliberal phenomenon.