According to Parkes MP Mark Coulton regional students would be “worse off” under changes to youth allowance and Ms Gillard had to prove how students would be able to qualify for the allowance.

However, Ms Gillard said the changes would be beneficial to regional students and it was the Coalition’s refusal to support these which was disadvantaging students.

Under the proposed changes to youth allowance students wishing to qualify for the independent rate will need to have worked 30 hours a week for 18 months over a two year period.

Mr Coulton yesterday said he had challenged Ms Gillard to show how this would be possible for regional students.

“Tell us where a young person living in the country is meant to find 30 hours of work a week,” he said.

Ms Gillard said the changes would mean many students would not have to take a gap year to work in order to qualify for the allowance.

“Labor’s scheme is about raising the parental income threshold so students from low and middle income families aren’t forced to take a gap year and work in order to gain youth allowance,” she said.

Mr Coulton said the Government had ignored the calls from regional students to abandon the changes and the Coalition could not support any legislation that would disadvantage regional students.

“For 12 months Ms Gillard has shown callous indifference to the thousands of regional students who pleaded their case to have the government overturn its legislation,” he said.

Ms Gillard said the Government would not consider any amendments to the bill and it was hypocritical for Mr Coulton to claim the Government was disadvantaging regional students.

“It is the height of hypocrisy for Mr Coulton to claim he is standing up for country students. He was part of a Government which saw rural and regional students’ participation at university decline,” she said.