The Nationals Duty Senator for New England John Williams has expressed amazement that the Member for New England Tony Windsor could claim he has scored a great victory for country students on independent youth allowance.

Senator Williams said in fact Mr. Windsor is staging a tactical retreat.

He said the Gillard government has finally conceded that the Coalition has been right in demanding equality for students in inner regional areas like Armidale and Tamworth so that they had the same eligibility criteria as outer regional, remote and very remote students.

“On no less than three occasions the Coalition attempted to have inner regional students given fairness, yet Mr. Windsor and the Member for Lyne Rob Oakeshott stood shoulder to shoulder with Labor and the Greens to vote it down.

This has put stress on students and their parents in New England.

Now to see both Independents beating their chests is laughable. Their credibility is long gone”, Senator Williams said.