Bloc Leader Gilles Duceppe says it's time Prime Minister Stephen Harper put some muscle behind his historic motion on the Québécois and allowed la belle province to act as a nation in diplomatic circles.

Duceppe said it's nice that Harper acknowledged the Québécois during his Tuesday speech to the Australian Parliament, but the notion remains symbolic until Quebec can exercise more power abroad.

"Now, he has to see the implications," Duceppe told the Canadian Press. "This isn't the case at UNESCO at this moment in time. His arrangement at UNESCO doesn't allow Quebec to speak up unless it is agreeing with the federal [government]. It's a 'be pretty and shut up' situation."

Harper is believed to have made Canadian history during his Tuesday speech in Canberra, in which he mentioned the Québécois nation.

"Australia was born in English, Canada in French at Quebec City 400 years ago next year, reflected to this day by the presence of francophones in the Québécois nation, within our united country," he said.

The statement made headlines in Quebec, where many speculated Harper's choice of words was an appeal to voters heading to the polls next week in a trio of federal byelections. 

Federal Liberal Leader Stéphane Dion said he has no problem with Harper's declaration abroad, but warned the prime minister is playing with fire.

"Now he is in trouble," he told CBC Radio. "Because Mr. Duceppe is linking the fact that we're a national group, with the fact that we need to create a situation in which the Canadian government is almost out of Quebec.

"It is irresponsible," Dion said.

The Québécois were formally recognized as a nation within a united Canada by the House of Commons in late 2006, after Harper introduced a motion designed to outfox Duceppe.

The Bloc leader initially proposed a motion defining Quebecers as a nation, period. Harper countered with the proposition that the Québécois form a nation, in the linguistic and cultural sense, within a united Canada.

The motion passed 266-16.