A former Labor minister has come out in support of the Coalition Government’s moves to reform Australian workplaces, which the Prime Minister says should happen as soon as possible.

In a speech late last week, Australian Petroleum Production and Exploration Association chairman Martin Ferguson said Labor should back the reinstatement of the Australian Building and Construction Commission (ABCC).

Mr Ferguson served as Minister for Resources and Energy for a period under the Rudd-Gillard governments.

The ABCC is an independent body for monitoring building and construction workplaces, enforcing laws, investigating complaints and other duties.

The ABCC is seen by some as the antithesis to building-related unions, and its reinstatement has been called an attempt to disempower the union movement.

But the former Labor minister has suggested some unions do need to have their feathers trimmed.

Mr Ferguson referred to the Maritime Workers’ Union as a “rogue union” which has been killing jobs though excessive industry control, saying that limits should be imposed on “greenfields” agreements to protect developers and investment companies.

The Prime Minister has congratulated Mr Ferguson on his change of mind, but says it should have happened sooner.

“It’s good that Martin Ferguson has found his voice. I guess it’s a pity that he didn’t find his voice more vigorously when in government,” PM Tony Abbott told Network Ten.

He also detailed the efforts the government has made to change the state of play at worksites nationwide.

“We’ve got very significant legislation before the Parliament; we’ve got legislation to restore the Australian Building and Construction Commission... we’ve got a Royal Commission about to start into union governance and union corruption; we’ve got some industrial legislation coming into the Parliament to make it easier to get greenfields industrial agreements up and running, to crack down on so-called ‘right of entry’ law,” he said.

Labor’s employment spokesperson Brendan O’Connor said Mr Ferguson was following the line that his new job requires.

“I’m very disappointed with [Mr Ferguson’s] view but not entirely surprised,” Mr O’Connor said.