Opposition Leader John Robertson has sided with "drunken and drug-addicted thugs" for threatening to block tough anti-violence laws in NSW.
Those were the pointed words of Premier Barry O'Farrell who used question time to slam the Labor leader who wants to amend the mandatory sentencing laws to only apply to assaults causing serious injury.
The opposition believes the government laws are too harsh and could target people involved in minor scuffles.
Mr O'Farrell accused Mr Robertson of "political cowardice".
"The leader of the opposition had a simple choice to make," he told the chamber on Wednesday.
"Stand with the community, who are appalled by drug and alcohol-fuelled violent assaults ... or side with the drunken and drug-addicted thugs responsible for those attacks.
"Sadly, he chose to side with the thugs."
Mr Robertson urged the premier to improve his anti-violence measures, which were "cobbled together on the run".
"Don't just play cheap law-and-order politics for the TV cameras," Mr Robertson told Mr O'Farrell in parliament.
Labor wants to change the government's proposed legislation so that just one offence, called "gross violence", will attract a minimum sentence.
Under Mr O'Farrell's proposed laws, mandatory minimum sentences apply for a range of offences such as reckless wounding and reckless grievous bodily harm in company, if the offender is intoxicated.
The government bill is expected to pass the lower house, where the coalition enjoys a comfortable majority.
But once the bill reaches the upper house, it will need support from the Shooters Party, who have already said they'll oppose it.
Parliament passed eight-year minimum mandatory sentencing laws in January for fatal one-punch assaults if alcohol or drugs are involved.
The measures follow public outrage over the rise of serious drunken assaults in Sydney, including the separate fatal one-punch assaults on 18-year-olds Thomas Kelly and Daniel Christie in Kings Cross.
