The Crimes Amendment Bill aimed to bring in stronger penalties for sometimes deadly one-hit surprise punches.
New Zealand First has come out swinging after a report removing mandatory minimum sentences from the "coward punch" higher penalty legislation.
The party says it is "extremely disappointed" by where the legislation has ended up, that the new approach amounts to "window dressing", and that the failure to include mandatory minimums for attacks on emergency responders is in breach of the coalition agreement.
The Crimes Amendment Bill introduced in December aimed to bring in stronger penalties for the sometimes deadly one-hit surprise punches, as well as for human trafficking and retail crime.
It also included expanding citizen's arrest powers and - through an amendment paper - infringements for shoplifting.
