Health Minister David Davis said draft legislation that would increase jail sentences for those who attack emergency workers would be discussed at length with health groups.
"People should not be threatened or face assault as they go about their legitimate work as a doctor or nurse," he told reporters on Saturday.
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He could not rule out including health workers in settings outside of emergency departments, such as nurses in home care, under the proposed legislation.
"We haven't laid out the precise details - that is exactly the discussions that we want to have," he said.
Both the Australian Medical Association and the Australian Nursing Federation have stepped up their campaign to include health professionals, such as GPs, within the framework of the new laws.
Medical staff at two Melbourne hospitals on Saturday pointed to an average of three reported assaults a week as evidence for the expanded measures.
But the state government could not confirm the accuracy of those figures.
Mr Davis said he wanted to see the absolute minimum number of violent or threatening incidents directed at emergency workers.
State opposition health spokesman Gavin Jennings said the government had delayed its promised reforms for two years but the opposition wanted to support measures that protected healthcare workers.
"In terms of the outcome that the law is meant to achieve, we are very supportive of it," he told reporters.
No date has been set for introducing the legislation into parliament.
