New Justice Minister Andrew Little will scrap the controversial three strikes law, reports Newshub political editor Patrick Gower.
The law means third-time serious offenders get the maximum sentence with no chance of parole.
Appearing on the AM Show on Wednesday, Gower said Mr Little was determined to cut policies he doesn't like.
"Three strikes - that thing's gone," Gower told host Duncan Garner.
"You do get this picture of things that are quite cosmetic or things that were big things that can be unpicked pretty much straight away."
The law came into force in June 2010, and will be repealed next year, according to media reports. Gower says Labour has questioned whether the law has fulfilled its purpose.
"Where is the evidence that it has been working, that is what the Labour Party will say to you," Gower said.
"A guy like Andrew Little is not here in Parliament, in the Beehive now to make his lunch. He will get rid of things like that as quick as he can."
Mr Little told Newshub he thinks the law has failed.
"After eight years of being in effect it hasn't made a blind bit of difference to serious offending rates which continue to climb," he says.
"We have one of the fastest growing prison populations in the Western world. Simply put, it's not working.
"We have to find a better way to reduce offending and keep communities safer."
Newshub.
