New Zealand First wants anyone guilty of assaulting emergency workers such as police, ambulance and fire officers to automatically be sentenced to six months in jail.
The party's leader, Winston Peters, says recent attacks on police officers show new laws are urgently required.
Mr Peters said after a similar policy was adopted in Western Australia assaults on emergency workers fell by 40%.
He said introducing an automatic six month jail term for assaults on police and other emergency workers would ease the pressure to arm all police officers.
Mr Peters sais the country's front line officers deserve the extra protection while undertaking essential and sometimes dangerous work.
