My personal point of view on this, and it may well be flawed. Yes - private people should have the same protection under the law as emergency workers, the same strict sentencing, etc. But - It seems to been seen as 'alright' to assault emergency workers, (for example getting the fire service out and then shooting at them with pellet guns) and there seems to be a subconscious acceptance that smacking a ambulance person while drunk is somehow socially more forgivable. This law might help change that attitude. It's much like how magistrates and judges can (I believe) decide the strength of sentencing based on the circumstances of the crime - and to be fair it wouldn't surprise me if some judges thought that thumping an emergency services worker is somehow a 'danger of the job'. But yes, the law should be equally strict on all criminals.